Imagine you are a senior citizen and living on your own. You want to video chat with your children, or listen to your favourite music before going to bed. A robot caregiver can help you do these tasks—all you have to do is give a voice command to the bot.
The robot caregiver can also watch over your home and help you locate your reading glasses and keys. Unlike children or grandchildren, this companion will not sulk or whinge when you ask them to look for missing things.
“Robot carers for the elderly could be a reality in India by 2020-21,” said Balaji Viswanathan, CEO, Invento Robotics, a Bengaluru-based startup that builds robots for offices and retail shops.
Artificial intelligence has made giant strides in the past six months. “Voice assistants like Alexa are getting smarter. In a year or so, robots will acquire the ability to understand human speech and do voice interactions in more natural ways. That is a key element for a caregiver,'' said Viswanathan, 35, who developed Mitra, a robotic customer care executive for HDFC Bank last year. These handmade robots can answer 500 frequently asked customer queries and help customers navigate through the office.
“The robotic caregivers can also help the elderly communicate with their family, remind them to take their medicines on time and connect them to hospitals. The next generation of robots will be able to bring food from the kitchen and patrol your home. Eventually, you will have robots that can perform more complex tasks, like cooking,” said Viswanathan, who has a degree in artificial intelligence. “By 2025, robot caregivers will be as common as mobile phones. They will be available at the price of a personal computer.”
It is estimated that India’s elderly population will cross 240 million by 2050. The country has witnessed rapid social changes in the past few decades, but a large number of senior citizens are living alone.
People who need assisted living or memory care often find it hard to get caregivers, said Col Achal Sridharan, 70, managing director of CovaiCare, a retirement community in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Robots can bridge gaps in elderly care. Would he buy a robot caregiver for himself? “It depends on the cost-benefit ratio in the Indian context. Also, I love the human touch,” he said.
A robot will not be as warm and affectionate as a human companion, but it will be more useful and dependable, said Nirupma Raina from Gurgaon. “I would love to get a robot as a companion if I am alone. Someone to answer my questions, show how things work, tell me what is happening in the world and to play scrabble. The robot will help me remember important events, things to get, play music of my choice, recite my favourite poetry and give me company. It will neither fall sick nor want leave like a paid help,” she said.
Chintu, a humanoid robot imported from Japan and funded by IBM, can set alarms and read newspapers for senior citizens. This robot can be programmed to dance and emulate different postures, including Shah Rukh Khan’s signature posture.
Dr Vrushali Kulkarni, professor and head of the department of computer science and engineering at Maharashtra Institute of Technology in Pune, led a team that developed the software for Chintu. Kulkarni said, “We demonstrated Chintu to senior citizens and they found it very exciting. Chintu is small and cute. It could remind one of their grandson.” This robot can even understand human emotions and behave accordingly. Chintu is not yet commercially available.
Viswanathan tried creating companion bots for the elderly a few years ago. They were evolved bots with speech recognition skills. He dropped the ambitious project halfway through as he had concerns about its acceptance. This time, he is more hopeful and determined.