Socially-Assistive Robots Could Improve Health and Lifespan of Elderly and
  Disabled
From: Medical Design Technology - 02/14/2017

Maja Mataric, a University of Southern California computer scientist, will
present her research on socially assistive robots on Friday, February 17th at
the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS) in Boston.

These robots are designed to improve the life span health of stroke patients,
children with autism and people with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of
dementia.

Mataric's Interaction Lab at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering allows
computer scientists, roboticists and human-machine interaction researchers to
create socially assistive robots who can fill a health care gap: help people
be less lonely, perform rehabilitative exercises and wellness activities, and
learn social behaviors.

Without physically touching people, socially assistive robots will develop
long-term relationships to supplement - not replace - human caregivers or
teachers. They will decipher user's emotions, body language and social cues
so they can tailor their interaction to the needs and moods of individuals.

Read the entire article and view a video (3:14) at:
https://www.mdtmag.com/news/2017/02/socially-assistive-robots-could-improve-health-and-lifespan-elderly-and-disabled

Links:
USC computer scientist to explain socially intelligent robots on Feb 17th
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-02/uosc-ucs021017.php

Interaction Lab
http://robotics.usc.edu/interaction