Tuesday, March 9, 2010

At-Home Robot Supposedly Helps Elderly Keep Tabs on Life

Filed under: Geriatrics

Next week at the Intercompany Long Term Care Insurance Conference (ILTCI) in New Orleans, Robosoft a company out of Bidart, France, will unveil a new robot that can assist the elderly and dependent in their own home. Although the video below spotlights some impressive capabilities, the robot has no hands to bring you a cup of water and is essentially a Dell laptop on wheels.

From Robosoft's press release:

Kompaï is intended to help dependent persons in their daily lives. It is a mobile and communicative product. Somewhat like a dog, it has its "basket", which is the recharging dock that it heads back to when its batteries are low. Equipped with speech, it is able to understand simple orders and give a certain level of response. It knows its position within the house, how to get from one point to another on demand or on its own initiative, and it remains permanently connected to the internet and all its associated services.

Its primary means of communication with people is speech, with an additional touch screen that features simple icons. Future generations of Kompaï will be equipped with visual abilities, and also the possibility to understand and express emotions. And later, the addition of arms will allow it to handle objects, leading to meal preparation and tidying; more practical functions, yet still fundamental in everyday life.

Press release: Robosoft introduces Kompaï...

                (2)     

Name:


Email Address
(will not be published):


URL:

Remember personal info?
(anonymous comments allowed)

Yes No

Comments:

Verification (needed to reduce spam):

Click the "Post" button only once!