on the horizon
By Sarah Robinson
Robots in Residence
Innovations have led to robots aiding in assisted living communities
A
s the most populous generation of retirees and older adults age, the need for assisted living care and caretakers grows. It might sound like something from The Jetsons, but more assisted living and residential care organizations are turning to robotics for help. New technologies are developing every day to adapt to the needs of older adults.
Automated Assistance
The Toyota Research Institute has been developing robotic technology similar to the helpful workshop bots you may have seen in Iron Man. Instead of helping Tony Stark with his superhero suit, these robots are designed to assist older adults with day-to-day tasks like loading the dishwasher and cleaning the kitchen counter. 38
“Loading the dishwasher is actually significantly harder than what most roboticists are currently demonstrating, and it requires considerably more understanding about the objects. Not only does the robot have to recognize a mug or a plate or ‘clutter,’ but it has to also understand the shape, position and orientation of each object in order to place it accurately in the dishwasher,” says Dr. Russ Tedrake, TRI vice president of robotics research in an article published by Toyota Research Institute. “TRI’s work-in-progress shows not only that this is possible, but that it can be done with robustness that allows the robot to continuously operate for hours without disruption.” This robot is designed to attach to the ceiling and hang down to save floor space in smaller rooms.
Droids Deliver Comfort
Aside from providing physical care and assistance to older adults, studies have shown that robots can help ease loneliness and promote improved mental health in assisted living facilities. The University of Bedfordshire in the U.K. worked with Advinia Health Care and SoftBank Robotics to develop a robot that addresses mental health and loneliness concerns by building a robot lovingly dubbed Pepper. “When we kicked off the project it was clear that loneliness in older adults was a really big problem that is increasing all the time and one that we were keen to tackle,” says Dr. Chris Papadopoulos, principal lecturer in public health at the University of Bedfordshire in an article by CNN. “Social care is incredibly stretched and we have an aging society.” www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com
