Helper Robots Are Steered, Tentatively, to Care for the Aging
From: New York Times - 05/19/2013
By: Nick Bilton

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed Cody, a
robotic nurse the university says is "gentle enough to bathe elderly
patients." There is also HERB, which is short for Home Exploring Robot
Butler. Made by researchers at Carnegie Mellon, it is designed to fetch
household objects like cups and can even clean a kitchen. Hector, a robot
that is being developed by the University of Reading in England, can remind
patients to take their medicine, keep track of their eyeglasses and assist in
the event of a fall.

The technology is nearly there. But some researchers worry that we are not
asking a fundamental question: Should we entrust the care of people in their
70s and older to artificial assistants rather than doing it ourselves?

Read the entire article at:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/disruptions-helper-robots-are-steered-tentatively-to-elder-care/

Links:
Cody - robotic nurse
http://www.coe.gatech.edu/content/robotic-cody-learns-bathe

Home Exploring Robot Butler
http://www.ri.cmu.edu/publication_view.html?pub_id=6510

Hector - medication reminder robot
http://www.companionable.net/

Submitted by Drew Nelson