Brown / Hasbro team to design smart robotic companions to assist seniors
From: Brown University - 11/01/2017

A group of academic researchers, led by cognitive and computer scientists
from Brown University, is teaming up with a cross-functional team from global
play and entertainment leader Hasbro to design a smart robotic companion
capable of assisting older people with simple but sometimes challenging tasks
of everyday living.

The project, dubbed ARIES (Affordable Robotic Intelligence for Elderly
Support), will add artificial intelligence capabilities to Hasbro’s current
Joy for All Companion Pets — animatronic dogs and cats designed to provide
interactive companionship, comfort and joy for older adults. The research
team’s goal is to develop additional capabilities for the ARIES companions to
help older adults with simple tasks that could include help in finding lost
objects, medication reminders or other tasks that sometimes become
challenging, especially those who may have mild dementia.

The work is supported by a $1 million grant from the National Science
Foundation and will be led by Brown’s Humanity-Centered Robotics Initiative
(HCRI), a group of computer and social science researchers who explore the
societal opportunities and challenges presented by robotics. The academic
project team also includes researchers from Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical
School, Butler and Bradley hospitals in Providence, RI, and the University of
Cincinnati.

Read the entire article at:
https://news.brown.edu/articles/2017/11/aries

Submitted by Jules Sherman