Article Excerpt: New York State is giving hundreds of “companion robots” to seniors at risk of social isolation, The Verge reports. Named ElliQ, the lamp-esque robots — from Israeli AI firm Intuition Robotics — are designed to make small talk, crack jokes and more. ElliQ’s “face” pivots toward whomever it’s speaking with, lending the bots a disarming, Pixar-like quality. A companion touchscreen can display pictures and other data (like weather reports) and handle video calls. Why it matters: Researchers have linked social isolation to all sorts of negative health outcomes: Loneliness is associated with a 50% higher risk of dementia, 32% increased risk of stroke and 29% greater risk of heart disease, and “significantly increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes,” per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/3u49dwrp
Article Source: Axios