Robot Caregivers Battling Senior Isolation

Kuri, the best example of robotic companions

When talking about robot caregivers, don’t imagine human-like machines run entirely by artificial intelligent. These constructions are nowhere near sentient, instead think about a Roomba in the body of Wall-E with the task management abilities of Siri. Case number one: Kuri.

This cute little robot is fitted with environmental scanners and a learning algorithm, and is therefore capable of zipping between the rooms without bumping into anything. It has emotive eyes, meaning that Kuri blinks, smiles or nods when addressed. It can also play music or take pictures during a party.

ElliQ, the senior caregiver robot

At the moment, companion robots like Kuri seem like a novelty, but the technology is heavily marketed towards seniors who live independently. Even though older people and modern technology aren’t always a good match, the chances are high they’ll love this stuff. Case number two: meet ElliQ, a stationary companion robot that acts as a friend and caregiver for seniors.

Digital friends to save lonely seniors

Also, just because they aren’t real doesn’t mean that the elderly can’t grow fond of these electronic companions. Japanese caregiving homes have deployed bear-faced companion robots for the residents and the staff discovered that the seniors are more likely to get out of bed if there is someone – or something – that they can interact with. Both Kuri and ElliQ produce gestures that help the human mind attribute a real personality to them, elevating the lifeless machinery to a pet-like status.

But most importantly, caregiver bots bring order to an aging person’s life. Devices like ElliQ constantly monitor the homeowner’s activity levels and suggest new hobbies if necessary. Seniors are less likely to come up with excuses to go for a walk if their friendly companion is the one coming up with the idea. The bots can also motivate their masters to learn how to play chess, bridge or poker on the tablet and find them new playmates over the internet.

It’s been proven that bringing exciting new activities into a senior’s life may drastically reduce depression and suicidal thoughts for those above 65. On top of all that, the joy and excitement that could come from these digital companions will make their golden years truly worth living.