Could a robot dog help people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia? American businessman Tom Stevens thinks so. He recently presented a test version of a yellow Labrador puppy to residents in a nursing home in California.
Stevens believes the Tombot dog, which moves its head from side to side and wags its tail, can help people with dementia. It is also easier to care for than a real dog. The robot has 16 motors to control its movements and has sensors to respond to people’s voice and touching. Stevens said he came up with the idea for the robot after his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2011. "Of the many bad days that we had early on, by far the worst was when I had to take away her dog," Stevens said.
The robot puppy, which is called Jenny, cannot walk and is carried on a small bed. During a visit last month, at the Sage Mountain nursing home in Thousand Oaks, people suffering from dementia and other memory-related illnesses put smiles on their faces while petting the puppy. Jenny has visited the nursing home a number of times. "The dog is very interactive, the tail wagging, responding to them calling her name," said Caroline Gibson, a spokeswoman for the nursing home. She added that it was "really amazing" to see the nursing home's residents feel at ease.
Tombot plans to sell its robot dogs in 2020 and it will enter a robot dog market that includes
Sony's Aibo. P&S Market Research estimates that the market for personal robots may reach over $30 billion by 2022.
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