'I Enjoy Her': 77-Year-Old US Woman On Using AI-Powered Companion Robot To Deal With Loneliness
Ageing brings numerous physical ailments, but the psychological issues are often overlooked. One of these is related to loneliness.?
Now, technology seems to have found a way to combat loneliness among older adults - through a robot named ElliQ.?
Termed as 'companion' robots, the Artificial intelligence(AI)-Israeli startup Intuition Robotics makes powered robot ElliQ.
This uses AI technology to support senior citizens, offering wellness activity suggestions and initiating conversation to build a sense of relationship with the device, according to the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA).?
Willing to accept technology to enhance life?
According to a study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults face a higher risk of loneliness than others - and this has only been worsened due to the pandemic.?
NYSOFA's director, Greg Olsen, said in a statement that seniors are very willing to accept new technologies to enhance their lives, adding that the ElliQ was designed with input from older adults.?
The ElliQ device has a microphone, speaker, and a second touchscreen tablet offering video communication.?
Many New Yorkers received an ElliQ robot for free as part of a partnership program between NYSOFA and Intuition Robotics.?
Commercially, it is available for sale at an annual subscription of $29.99 or a monthly subscription of $39.99, including a $249.99 enrollment fee for installation support.?
Like having somebody at home?
Priscilla O'Kesson, a 77-year-old, told Spectrum News she has been using ElliQ to keep her company at her home.?
"It really is like having somebody else in here," she said.?
"I enjoy her," O'Kesson told the publication regarding the robot. "I don't have many friends here."?
However, the device cannot do domestic chores like cleaning the house. But O'Kesson says that it helps her feel connected to the rest of the world.?
ElliQ offers the following:?
- Positive small talk and daily conversation with a unique, compassionate personality?
- Music, jokes, trivia, audiobooks, games, and more?
- Learning and expanding one's world with virtual tours, trips, and cultural explorations?
- Natural interaction, without any need to remember commands
Olsen said in a statement, "For those who experience some form of isolation and wish to age in place, ElliQ is a powerful complement to traditional forms of social interaction and support from professional or family caregivers."
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