Robots Seen As Companions for Elderly

AP via Yahoo ^ | Sat April 10 | Yuri Kageyama

[RightWingAtheist]

OHBU, Japan - To some scientists, robots are the answer to caring for aging societies in Japan and other nations where the young are destined to be overwhelmed by a surging elderly population.

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In one of a budding series of robot-therapy sessions at Japanese hospitals and senior citizens' homes, the elderly patients suffer from severe dementia, but their faces light up when they see the dog-shaped robot, swaddled in soft clothing, waddle around the hospital floor. Some clap; others break into feeble smiles. Urged by nurses, a few cautiously reach out and touch it.

"It's cute," one female patient cries out.

Advocates see robots serving not just as helpers — carrying out simple chores and reminding patients to take their medication — but also as companions, even if the machines can carry on only a semblance of a real dialogue.

The ideal results: huge savings in medical costs, reduced burdens on family and caretakers, and old and sick people kept in better health.

"This technology is really needed for the global community," said Russell Bodoff, executive director at the Center for Aging Services Technologies in Washington, D.C. "If you look 30 years out, we have what I would call a global crisis in front of us: that we will have many more aging people than we could ever deal with."

Japan leads the world in research on such "partner" robots. But the fledgling offerings often fail to address real-life needs — partly because their creators don't fully appreciate what kinds of robots appeal to the elderly and the sick, experts say.

And while proponents say robot therapy is no different from pet therapy, in which animals offer companionship, the idea of children and older people becoming emotionally attached to machines unnerves many people.

"There is always a role that must be carried out by human beings," says Kimika Usui, professor of gerontologic nursing at Osaka Prefecture College of Nursing. "It is critical that a person interacts one-on-one and talks to that patient. Just playing music or turning on the TV does not really get their response."

___

[RightWingAtheist]

[PureSolace]

Hey! It's just like the movie! Go Government Weapons Testing! Exploitation of the Elderly! Weeeee! :)

[Mentos]

[RightWingAtheist]

:-D

[PureSolace]

Click this to see an old clip about robot Insurance for the Elderly

...enjoy :)

[Skywalk]

I was thinking more along the lines of R2D2 or some other droid of a Star Wars-type.

INteresting, I was just discussing this concept today, of a personal assistant/companion droid that had the semblance of independent intelligence and sentience who could be the repository for all computer/tech equipment people normally have. Not for convenience sake, as a laptop, headphones and the like would take up less space, but for the ability to converse and interact with an entity that had "substance" even moreso than someone in a chat room.

Of course, this requires some more advances in robot technology, but the idea is one whose time will come.

[Yardstick]

Ha! That sketch was the first thing that popped into my head I saw the article!

I can't believe it's been nine years. I remember it being the only funny part of an otherwise dismal episode. I remember thinking "jeez, SNL is really going down the crapper", but then I saw this sketch and thought there might be hope. Of course that turned out not to be the case...

[Yardstick]

...when I saw the article.

[nutmeg]

ROTFL at #2 and #4! ;-D

[beaversmom]

Hee, hee!

[LadyDoc]

"I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC" (Ray Bradbury story of electric nannies).

This is just another way for yuppies to ignore the elderly who are "useless eaters" and not worthy of being cared for in the usual ways...

[archy]

I was thinking more along the lines of R2D2 or some other droid of a Star Wars-type.

Or maybe not...

[Monty22]

[expatguy]

I think I prefer this one ~ A few "servant" robots and I will be fine.

[archy]

"I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC" (Ray Bradbury story of electric nannies).

WE are the pusher robots...

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"I'm sorry gramps, I'm afraid I can't do that"

[hookman]

I am your nursebot!