Posted by: thepinetree on 09/13/2013 12:29 AM
Updated by: thepinetree on 09/13/2013 12:31 AM
Expires: 01/01/2018 12:00 AM
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Would You Let a Robot Help You Age-In-Place?
Calaveras, CA...My daughter recently entered a contest at her school called "Dinner With a Scientist". It's an annual event the district puts on for the 6th graders. To enter, she had to come up with a new invention. Her invention was a robot designed to help the elderly in their daily lives. Or as she put it, "A robot for old people"...don't worry, I helped her put a more PC title on her invention. She won a spot at the event and had a great time learning and meeting many different scientific professionals...
But, you know...her invention isn't that far fetched. Those types of robots do exist. Maybe not like the ones we see in movies such as Bicentennial Man or Robot & Frank, although I'm sure something that sophisticated isn't too far away.
From a cuddly robot friend, to one who reminds you to take your meds...the future of aging-in-place is here.
- Paro, the baby harp seal, is a robot designed to display the same type of qualities as a live therapeutic animal. Developed by AIST in Japan, Paro was designed this way because some facilities may not be able to accommodate an actual live animal like a therapy dog. Patients suffering from diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's have shown an increase in interaction between their caregivers. Paro has been shown to decrease their stress levels, improving their relaxation and motivation. Paro has five kinds of sensors which help it to perceive people and react to its environment.
- Meet Hector, a mobile assistive robot and smart home interface for the elderly. Hector, equipped with a touch screen, comes when you call him, he can keep your daily routines and he reminds you when you have to take your medicine or reviews your agenda for the day. He will even keep your glasses safe in his “pocket” so you don’t misplace them. Hector also has fall detection capabilities and in emergencies, such as a fall, Hector could help the remote control center he’s connected to, assess how serious the fall is and what kind of emergency help may be needed.
- Willow Garage's Personal Robot 2 is designed to do specific tasks and that's it. It can be programmed to perform up to 48 different tasks, such as changing a light bulb, or wash some dishes. No social skills with this guy! However, not everyone wants to become best friends with a robot. So for some people, PR2 would be perfect.
- If you do prefer a robot that is more of a companion, then Leonardo is for you. Leonardo is a social robot, capable of interacting with people...even cracking jokes. Equipped with facial recognition technology, Leo also will be able to "know" who he is talking to. He is able to learn from you and also mimic your own facial expressions. He can learn tasks such as opening a box of cookies, or picking an item up for you.
For some, the idea of having an artificial lifeform helping them out from day to day is just too wild of a notion. But for others, having an extra hand around, human or not, is just what the doctor ordered!
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