UMD Professor Researching Using Social Robots in Assisted Living Communities

WDIO-TV reports that University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Professor Arshia Khan and her team are investigating the use of social robots to help frontline workers and residents at assisted living communities. They are programming the robots to engage with and monitor residents. "The robots have emotion detection capabilities so they can detect where the patient's feelings are going and then relay that information," said UMD's Anna Martin. The robots are designed to comfort and help residents feel less alone through social interaction. "Having to go into people's spaces and not have to worry about infection during the pandemic particularly for vulnerable populations can be very valuable," explained Martin. According to Khan, the robots also can administer medication, track emotions, and monitor physiological changes like blood pressure and heart rate through a sensor that residents will wear. The robots also can dance and gossip. Khan added that they "will know residents' activities because the robot will start assisting them as soon as they're diagnosed with dementia and learn and remind people of their behavior."