Israel startup recruits Norse goddess as elder companion
From: The Times of Israel - 01/11/2017
By: Shoshanna Solomon

Intuition Robotics unveils ElliQ, a lamplike device that aims to prod lonely
seniors to be active, go out and stay in touch

Israeli startup Intuition Robotics, unveiled ElliQ, an artificial
intelligence based robot companion that it says will keep older adults active
and engaged with family members by helping to make technology use easier.

ElliQ intentionally doesn't look like a robot. With no eyes or mouth, it
looks like a little mushroom-shaped lamp, with lights flickering and the head
turning and bending to acknowledge a person’s presence or to mimic head
gestures while expressing emotions.

ElliQ proactively interacts with the person, suggesting activities like
offering to connect them with digital content like TED talks, music, games or
audio books; reminding the person when it’s time for their medication or
suggesting they take a walk, as they have been cooped up all day and the
weather outside is nice and balmy. ElliQ will also ask the person if they
want to connect with family members or friends, either by phone or through
technology like chat bots linked to Facebook Messenger.

The technology uses a combination of tools, including cognitive computing,
natural communication techniques, speech recognition technologies and
computer vision to make communication with the robot more effective. ElliQ
has the ability to understand context and autonomously make decisions against
a set of predetermined goals, created by experts in gerontology and family
members. She will learn from previous experiences with the person,
understanding when is the best time to offer music or a game of Sudoko, or
suggest a walk.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-startup-recruits-norse-goddess-as-elder-companion

Links:
Intuition Robotics
https://www.intuitionrobotics.com

Toyota Research Institute Invests in Intuition Robotics to Develop ElliQ
http://www.roboticstomorrow.com/article/2017/07/toyota-research-institute-invests-in-intuition-robotics-to-develop-elliq/10312

Toyota Research Institute to Bring Disruptive Tech to Market Faster with
  Toyota AI Ventures (with video 2:56)
http://corporatenews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+research+institute+brings+distruptive+tech+market+faster+toyota+ai+ventures.htm

Toyota AI Ventures (video 6:26)
https://youtu.be/jTzIpQCF1pY

Related:
NAO Takes a Bow: Meet the Robot Engaging Seniors in the Arts
https://www.brookdale.com/en/brookdale-life/blogs/2017/08/nao-takes-a-bow-meet-the-robot-engaging-seniors-in-the-arts.html

AI startup coming to Silicon Valley with robot companion for elderly (with video 1:58)
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2017/02/14/elliq-intuition-robotics-elderly-care-sf-bay-area.html