Elli•Q is A New Robot Companion for the Elderly

International Business Times – Elli•Q is a new artificial intelligence robot designed to keep the elderly active and engaged. Developed by Intuition Robotics, the robot helps its companion access technology to stay in touch with family and friends. It also helps its user stay engaged mentally by providing news, music, and audiobooks and physically, by suggesting activities like taking a walk. “We wanted to create a companion that helps older adults keep active and engaged by intuitively connecting them with family and friends and help them overcome the complexity of the digital world,” Intuition Robotics CEO and founder Dor Skuler, told IBTimes. “Elli•Q will help independent users discover engaging online content, adhere to their daily schedule and stay physically active.”

Elli•Q is an example of artificial intelligence attempting to solve a real-life problem: loneliness in the elderly. According to the website AgingCare.com, 18% of seniors live alone while 43% report feeling lonely on a regular basis. It has also been found that lonely seniors are more likely to decline and die faster. By giving the elderly a friendly and warm robot companion, Intuition Robotics hopes to improve  quality of life for seniors. The company is beginning a trial phase in February and hopes to make Elli•Q as affordable as other sophisticated consumer electronic products on the market. LINK