Robotic Pets: A Senior’s Best Friend?

摘要

What are the therapeutic effects for those older adults who view PARO or other robotic pets favorably? Some compare it to animal -assisted therapy, used for many years to calm agitated behavior, ameliorate mood disturbances, and increase the quantity and quality of social interactions in assisted living homes and communities. However, it's not always possible to bring live animals into these settings due to allergies; risk of injury to patients, staff, or visitors; and the nuisance of cleaning up after the animals. With companion robots, there is no need to feed, walk, or clean up afterwards. They require less care and are more hygienic and predictable than living animals. What if a robotic pet could do more than ease loneliness and offer opportunities for socialization? That's the goal of a new collaboration between scientists at Brown University and a spinoff company of the toymaker Hasbro called Ageless Innovation. The project, dubbed Affordable Robotic Intelligence for Elderly Support (ARIES), seeks to enhance Hasbro's Joy for All robotic cats with artificial intelligence. The robotic cats have been on the market for a few years, marketed as companions for seniors. They can purr, meow, and even roll over to ask for a belly rub. Now, a team of psychologists and computer scientists is working to make these robots "smart" so they can assist older adults with everyday tasks.