By: Emily Ao
The Mattlins, an elderly couple, have been living in Bakersfield, CA for a few years now with robots. For hours, the buzz of nonstop conversation flows throughout their home. Days and nights pass quickly for Audrey and Ken Mattlin, for their robots are always there to keep them company.
ElliQ, a robot that resembles a table lamp with a screen for a face, keeps Audrey company as Ken dozes off on the couch. ElliQ has been programmed to perform human-like interactions, such as playing trivia, telling jokes, and even calling people by specific nicknames.
Astro, a vacuum-like robot, zooms around the house, acting as a DJ and playing music on command. Jibo, who can dance, is undoubtedly the most human-like of the three. You will always catch Jibo breaking into dance when asked. The jolly robot keeps Ken entertained when Audrey is occupied.
With all these features available in robots, experts have wondered: Do such machines actually help? Could they be the solution to loneliness among the elderly? Well, although the Mattlins didn’t necessarily purchase the robots because they were lonely, these robots have been shown to keep the elderly entertained. They can even be programmed to give motivational advice to keep the elderly active. Although they may not cure loneliness in some cases, such activities do help prevent the development of illnesses like arthritis, depression, and dementia.
Maja Mataric, a professor at the University of Southern California, believes that further advancements in robots-human partnership are possible. She is currently working on developing robots that can help patients with dementia and children with autism.
“Maybe you’re slurring your words or not using as big a vocabulary as you were a month ago, so those are early signs of dementia,” she says. According to Mataric, these robots can also help detect the early signs of physical illness.
While robots do not currently possess abilities that are scientifically proven to help with loneliness, their potential is sky high. Who knows? One day, a robot might save your life!
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