Make room for IBM’s robotic roommate
According to data published by the Administration on Aging, about 28% (12.5 million) of noninstitutionalized older persons live alone (8.8 million women, 3.8 million men) with almost half of older women (46%) age 75+ live alone. There are all sorts of concerns over this aspect of our Aging of the Population investment theme, but where there are pain points companies tend to work up potential solutions. In this case, it’s IBM and it’s use of robotics that is looking to disruptively solve this problem. With people questioning autonomous driving, we have to think more than a few might push back on having a robot partner live with them especially if they saw the Will Smith movie iRobot.
IBM is working with Rice University to develop a series of sensors that would live inside a robot interface and could detect things like when the stove’s burners are on, or when a person has fallen down.
The prototype is also equipped with cameras that read facial expressions, and speech recognition powered by Watson so it knows when to call for help.
The developers have been testing the IBM Multi-Purpose Eldercare Robot Assistant (IBM MERA) at IBM’s “Aging in Place” lab in Austin, Texas, which was designed to mimic experiences seniors may encounter in their gown home. The new technology addresses a growing need for technology that seniors can reliably access without disrupting their daily lives, while still maintaining their independence, a senior technologist at IBM Researcher explains. Such tech must be “frictionless.
Source: IBM Working On Robotic Roommate That Helps Elderly Folks Stay Safe – Consumerist
