Helping People Who Are Socially Isolated Using a Robot

A ground-breaking study at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London is trialling the impact that artificial intelligence paired with robot technology can have on patients. Although there is much refinement still to do Dr. Marcela P. Vizcaychipi and Dr Yiannis Demiris have managed to demonstrate that there are real possibilities for such a robot to provide some social contact to people who are isolated and also to help with their treatment in a limited way – reminding patients to carry out exercises and demonstrate the required movements being one way. 

This little robot is build to resemble a human and has a personable (childlike?) voice that appears very effective at engaging people, particularly adults in the examples featured in this short video.

Further uses could be to act as a reminder to take medications and perhaps to raise the alarm if the patient cannot communicate. We might also speculate that children would find a robot interesting to act as a playmate while they are too ill to go home or attend school?

It is quite clear from this video that such a robot (possibly one that could communicate more smoothly as this model seemed a little slow to respond to questions) could be a useful tool in hospital and the same may well apply at home.

Submitted by GAtherton on Mon, 2017-11-27 13:15