Robotics Move from Industry to Space to Elder Care From: Electronic Design - 12/01/2008 - page 45 By: Doris Kilbane Healthcare and Eldercare Eventually, after observing the help his aging parents needed and some of the services he’d like himself, Joseph Engelberger, widely known as the Father of Robotics, saw a whole new field for robotics - in healthcare and elder care. "There are great possibilities in the service area for robotics simply by using the technology developed for the industrial arena," he said. "That is where the real excitement will be. I'm talking about a household robot to be a companion for the elderly or handicapped in the home, one that could do a task like fetch and carry, find things in the fridge, cook and clean, and speak to you in your language," Engelberger said. "A robot has a thick skin. My parents had people who lived with them to take care of them. But that’s not always easy. Sometimes there are personality conflicts. With my parents, finally, the fourth person hired fitted into their lifestyle. In contrast, an elder care robot would accept the senior's lifestyle and do what it is told, over and over again," he said. Read the entire article at: http://electronicdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=20119