AI-Robot companions might seem new at first glance, but is it that innovative? Think it through. Aren’t you familiar with Doraemon as a kid? All of us were fascinated by the support that this robot companion was capable of giving to Nobita, and honestly, let us just confess that we envied Nobita for having a Doraemon in life, which back then we thought we could never have in our lives. But things have changed for the better since then, and today, we are very much capable of having a robotic friend in our lives, too.  

Now, what necessitated robotics engineers to actually turn our childhood dreams into reality in the first place? At a time when mental health crisis has assumed an alarming proportion, people’s fear of loneliness is complicating the matter. Despite social media’s effort to make people stay connected, people are struggling with loneliness, which is further exacerbating the crisis. AI, which is being leveraged to offer solutions to diverse problems, is also offering a solution to this crisis, it seems.

The AI-powered robots not only offer companionship but also a means of social interaction to lonely elderly who generally experience loneliness on account of age and less social interaction owing to reduced mobility. Moreover, children moving out of the family also aggravates the feeling of loneliness among them. Again, not just the elderly; young adults also experience loneliness for a variety of reasons. Moving to a new place, moving out of friends, changes in life, and continuous updates on social media often leave one with the feeling of being left out – everything accounts for the rising feeling of loneliness.

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Robot Companions provides the all-in-one solution to major problems. It provides companionship, even acts as a pet, doubles up as a caregiver and also as an entertainer, and in some cases, helps you with household chores and even assists your children with their homework! Let’s take a look at the most popular robot companions:

Most popular robot companions

Eilik

Eilik is a robot companion capable of higher levels of social interactions with humans. Unlike people who are busy with their own schedules and too caught up with their own lives, our robotic friend is dedicated to giving us their company. Powered with emotional intelligence and manufactured by Energize Lab, they are always available and a perfect embodiment of “tech with heart”.

Paro

Paro is a social robot designed with a therapeutic purpose in mind. It is in the shape of a baby harp seal, which helps patients feel calm and elicit emotional responses. Paro has 12 tactile sensors in its fur, along with touch-sensitive whiskers and motors that allow an array of movements in its limbs and body. Like living pets, it, too, responds to petting by moving its tail and opening and closing its eyes. Paro finds use in clinics as an alternative to therapy involving nonhuman animals and helps patients with Down’s Syndrome, autistic children, and cancer patients. It has been observed that long-time exposure to Paro has improved sociability among users.

Willow

Willow is another robot companion manufactured by EEVE, which serves multiple purposes. Besides serving as our constant companion, it also helps in household chores like mowing your lawn, and even sweeping and cleaning your porch. You can also trust it to guard your house at night!

Jibo

Jibo is a robotic friend which has been designed to provide support in the fields of children’s education, telehealth and hospitals. It can provide social and emotional support to chronically ill patients and the elderly who have been receiving treatment for a long time.

Lovot

Lovot is a social robot with a high level of emotional awareness. The primary purpose of Lovot is to make users feel happy. Designed with highly sophisticated technology that is capable of detecting the slightest change in moods, it is programmed to respond accordingly. A perfect creation of emotional robotics, Lovot is the world’s first demonstration experiment on the bond between robots and people.

Misa

Misa is a personal robot that is also programmed to help children complete their homework on time. Additionally, Misa with its dedicated to improving your family life. It can offer health and nutritional advice and even manage family calendars. Promoting healthy study habits contributes to the home-schooling of children.

Aibo

Not just as household companions, but certain robot companions can fulfil your need for pets as well. Aibo is one such robot companion manufactured by Sony. It is designed as a robotic dog full of charm and contagious energy. It has been programmed to display lifelike expressions, making it a perfect pet material which doesn’t give you the trouble of visiting vets regularly. The robotic friend, therefore, fulfils your needs minus the trouble that your furry friend is capable of giving.

Caution

Despite the charm and kindness of our robot companions, at the end of the day, it must not be forgotten that they are just machines. So, while overreliance on machines has its own problematic dimension, privacy concerns, especially for those vulnerable and rising cyber threat remains a cause of major concern.

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