Scientists Hope to Inject Robo-Cat with AI to Help Seniors
From: Associated Press - 12/19/2017
By: Michelle R. Smith

Researchers at Brown University have received a three-year, $1-million U.S.
National Science Foundation grant to study ways to add artificial
intelligence (AI) to Hasbro's "Joy for All" robotic cat. The project, called
Affordable Robotic Intelligence for Elderly Support (ARIES), is aimed at
developing additional capabilities for the robotic cats to help older adults
with simple tasks. The researchers, working out of Brown's Humanity-Centered
Robotics Initiative, want to determine which tasks make the most sense to
help older adults stay in their own homes longer. The robotic cat can be a
tool that could make life easier for someone caring for a person with
dementia, or to be used in nursing homes where pets are not allowed. The
first step is conducting surveys, focus groups, and interviews to understand
how older adults live. The researchers are considering how the robotic cat
could help complete everyday tasks, and how it would communicate with its
owner.

Read the entire article at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/scientists-hope-inject-robo-cat-ai-seniors-51876782

Links:
Brown / Hasbro team to design smart robotic companions to assist seniors
https://news.brown.edu/articles/2017/11/aries

A Touch of Joy
https://joyforall.hasbro.com/en-us

Orange Tabby Cat
https://joyforall.hasbro.com/en-us/companion-cats