Top 7 Social and Companion Robots for Older individuals

Robots for Older individuals: According to a UN assessment, there would be 3,1 billion individuals over the age of 60 in the world by the year 2100, up from 962 million in 2017. based on a report by the United Nations. In the United States alone, the health sector employs more than 4,5 million nursing and orderly assistants, home health care providers, and personal care aides.

Governments all across the world may wish to utilize robots to fill the gap caused by an aging population and a lack of a trained workforce. Although senior care robot adoption rates are still modest compared to other service robot market segments, the industry has seen positive growth in the usage of elderly care robots that are AI-equipped.

Seniors may struggle to keep themselves engaged and active, therefore friendships can motivate many seniors to take part in everyday activities. In particular, if they are retired and live alone, this is true. Living alone may make it difficult to maintain a clean house, cook healthy foods, and take care of oneself. This could result in despair or a lack of social skills.

We’ll examine some of the best social and companion robots for the elderly in this post.

ElliQ

An Israeli business called Intuition Robotics introduced ElliQ, an “aging companion,” in 2016. ElliQ is a robot associate named after a Norse goddess that stands for old age and is intended to keep seniors interested, autonomous, and active. When you summon a tabletop named ElliQ, it turns on. It makes use of machine learning and computer vision to offer proactive ideas, entertainment, and activities in addition to monitoring wellbeing and the environment.

The animated light in the Pixar logo served as inspiration for its design. ElliQ speaks despite not having a face, limbs, or legs and keeps her human companion engaged. The robot mimics head movements between users. She can smile when she looks up. ElliQ is a simple social companion to use. She takes calls, reads emails, and listens to music.

Robots for Older individuals: The robot can schedule taxis or remind folks to take their medications. Additionally, it has the ability to recall the owner’s appointments and provide ideas according to the current agenda. To keep linked to the outside world, older users can play games, utilize social media, and have on-screen video conversations. When a user has spent a lot of time sitting still, ElliQ may offer music, podcasts, or audiobooks they would like. It may also advise healthy activities like walking.

ROBEAR

Scientists from ROBEAR RIKEN and Sumitomo Riko Limited have created ROBEAR, a nursing robot that is capable of doing duties like assisting a patient who is standing but requires support or moving a patient from a bed in a wheelchair.

As the successor of RIBA (2009) and RIBA-II (2011), ROBEAR is lighter than its forerunners, weighing just 140 kilos as opposed to 230 kilograms for RIBA-II, and it has a number of characteristics that allow it to apply force subtly.

This machine resembles a cuddly, enormous cartoon bear. It has actuators with a low gear ratio, allowing joints to move precisely and quickly. Additionally, it has three different kinds of sensors, including torque sensors and tactile rubber-type capability sensors, which provide mild movement and guarantee that the robot can perform power-intensive jobs like lifting patients without endangering them.

SAM

SAM, a robot companion that improves the quality of life for the elderly and disabled, was developed by Luvozo, a company founded in 2013. This constant companion attempts to keep senior citizens from feeling alone and to stop them from falling. Testing for Luvozo began in July 2015. SAM is one of Washington, D.C.’s premier senior communities.

The human-sized, cheerful robot uses cutting-edge technology to offer routine inspection and non-medical care to inhabitants. The major objectives of SAM were to deal with rising operational expenses, employee turnover, accidents, and senior isolation. Healthcare professionals can provide remote surveillance, physical safety, and communication between patients, their loved ones, and staff thanks to SAM.

Nurses may monitor and check their visual acuity using the robot’s display and cameras. This improves time management and task management while minimizing staff intervention and travel. Additionally, the humanoid contains sensors and the SAM Fall Assessment System program. He can move thanks to this technological setup, which helps him spot potential hazards and avoid falls. The telepresence robot is portable. Older folks are able to view and communicate with their virtual interlocutors. Naturally, they feel less alone since they feel accompanied.

Zora

Zora is a social caregiver who participates with seniors in activities including aerobics, singing, playing games, and reading. Zora measures a little over 57 cm and barely weighs 5,7 kg. Zora is little, but she can speak 19 different languages. Zora looks after both kids and adults.

Zora, who is controlled by medical practitioners via tablet, may read the local news, weather predictions, and TV shows while leading a physical therapy session. Zora has been adopted by assisted care institutions to keep their inhabitants amused and active via dance and exercise.

Hospitals and care centers have purchased more than 1,000 robots so far. The Belgian business Zora Bots creates amiable, perceptive friends with only one objective: to improve the quality, enjoyment, health, and relaxation of your life. Zora makes people smile, but she is obviously not a substitute for a qualified human caretaker or healthcare professional.

IPal

The humanoid robotic caregiver IPal by AvatarMind is created to act as a social companion, educator, and safety guardian for youngsters and the elderly. To travel around the house, this mobile robot has legs on wheels. It can converse, sing, dance, and do other necessary functions. Its limbs and neck have a large range of motion, it has software for avoiding obstacles built in, and its core has low gravity, which helps stability. It is 3.5 feet tall, weighs 27.5 pounds, and has WiFi, Bluetooth, five microphones, and a built-in camera.

The robot’s ability to capture voice and video enables it to give physicians and family members the greatest possible support.

Family members may use iPal to engage with their loved ones remotely while seeing them from inside or outside of their rooms.

iPal offers various health services, such as medication reminders. Emergency services can be informed via iPal. Its usage of the Android operating system allows the screen on its chest to run typical Android apps. Even some physical interaction can be felt with touch sensors. The finest iPals are for older citizens who want amusement, connection and care in addition to talking.

Care-O-Bot

The Care-O-Bot 4 is a portable robot companion designed to aid the elderly in everyday activities. To enhance social connections, mobility, and flexibility, a new model has been developed. With six programmable models, it is meant to be a cost-effective care solution that the customer can adjust to fit their requirements and budget. With a circular head, arms, hands, trays, and a rolling base, it has a somewhat humanoid form. It may help with a variety of domestic chores including cooking and cleaning, as well as bringing the user food, beverages, and prescriptions. It can conduct discussions, arrange video conferences, and make emergency calls.

For multimodal user input, it has a touch screen, microphones, and speakers. It can modify its behavior using facial cameras to recognize gestures and user interfaces. A Care-O-Bot may communicate through body language, speech-to-text, noises, lasers, and LEDs. It is based on an open-source operating system that is constantly adaptable and developable. Care-O-Bots are currently being utilized successfully in Germany to offer medical assistance, company, and mental stimulation.

Buddy

Robots for Older individuals: Buddy, a robot created by Blue Frog Robotics, is an emotional companion that interacts, connects, and protects every family member. BUDDY, which was created to be an excellent friend for seniors, may secure, help, connect, and amuse the elderly at home or in older homes. He is the ideal emotional robot for special needs kids to play and learn with. The producers, distributors, or licensees of robots that require “smart” and emotional characteristics in their robots can use this market-ready, sensitive platform and robot solution.

It comprises a compact, dome-shaped body on a three-wheeled chassis that is completely moveable. It has a cartoonish array of emotions on its oblong face. Buddy offers a range of services, such as calendar reminders, multimedia, social engagement, personal assistance, home safety, and interactive interfaces. BUDDY monitors the house when a user is gone and notifies users of any suspicious behavior. Real-time home mapping, positioning, remote control, autonomous collision avoidance, and obstacle avoidance are all included. All smart home appliances that consumers may operate with BUDDY are connected to them.

Robots for Older individuals: It provides mobile telepresence with links to social media, Skype and Facetime, and photo and video sharing. It may offer useful information like weather predictions, recipes, and traffic as well as assist users in setting reminders, alarm clocks, and to-do lists. It may be a storyteller or an engaging instructor. BUDDY can identify falls or strange occurrences in the elderly and notify the appropriate authorities. BUDDY has the ability to monitor, identify, and recognize homes and objects. It also features voice recognition software.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is an iPal robot?

The iPal Companion Robot serves as a teacher for kids using tablet-based educational programs and spoken language learning, delivering educational information in a fun way that fosters social development and sparks an interest in science and technology. Children may learn while having fun with iPal.

What old people can robots do?

Medical robotics can benefit seniors in a variety of ways, including the following: Smaller jobs like bringing in food and drink can be handled by robots. Some elderly care robots take care of their social and emotional needs by keeping them amused through games, helping them remember events and appointments, and encouraging social interaction.

Exist robots that provide care?

Robotic caregiving provides company. You might not be familiar with the names Lovot, Pillo, Paro, Moflin, and Qoobo at the moment. But it’s possible that they will soon. They are all artificially intelligent robots having the ability to connect with people, especially the elderly.