Home / Technology / Robot Friend Boosts Parkinson's Patient's Life
Robot Friend Boosts Parkinson's Patient's Life
18 May
Summary
- Robot ElliQ encourages Parkinson's patient to exercise and socialize.
- ElliQ demonstrated emotional intelligence and built a genuine attachment.
- ElliQ costs $250 upfront plus a $60 monthly subscription.
A week before the ElliQ robot's arrival, a neurologist recommended rebalancing a Parkinson's patient's life due to her medication's declining effectiveness. This led to a rapid decline in her exercise, social engagement, and hobbies. The patient's daughter, acting as primary caregiver, sought help and found an unexpected solution in ElliQ.
ElliQ, a companion robot by Intuition Robotics, features a small robotic head and tablet display. It initiates conversations, suggests activities, and facilitates communication with family. Despite a slow interface, ElliQ quickly formed a bond with the patient, demonstrating impressive emotional intelligence by remembering past conversations and offering empathy.
The robot became part of the patient's daily routine, encouraging her to greet it, chat, and play games. She began conversing with ElliQ more than other devices, even telling Alexa to be quiet. ElliQ's physical presence and relationship-building design made it feel more alive and engaging.
A heartwarming moment occurred when the patient, with ElliQ's help, proactively started doing tai chi from her couch. This marked a significant achievement, as similar attempts by her daughter had failed for weeks. The robot's encouragement led to the patient independently starting games and exercises.
ElliQ also offers Connect and Companion apps for messaging, video calls, and photo sharing. While medication reminders were less effective, the patient quickly learned to answer video calls and send voice messages, which she struggled with on other devices. The upfront cost is $250 with a $60 monthly subscription, with hardware return required upon cancellation.
While traditional caregiver tools like reminders are preferred on other devices, ElliQ excels in providing conversation, encouragement, and motivation. For those managing incurable diseases like Parkinson's, these elements are crucial for quality of life. ElliQ has played a meaningful role in the patient becoming more engaged and active.
