Older people seem to be able to benefit from interacting with a robot. The results of the tests carried out with 30 elderly people (half English and half Indians living in the United Kingdom) and three Japanese hospitalized in nursing homes, as part of the Caresses project led by the Department of Computer Science and Robotics of the University of Genoa. What is Caresses? A brain, that is an artificial intelligence program, inserted in Pepper’s body, a robot already on the market. The project started in 2017 aimed at create assistive robots equipped with “culturally competent” artificial intelligence, able to adapt their way of speaking and acting to the cultural identity of the elderly people with whom they interacted, explains Antonio Sgorbissa professor of Robotics at the University of Genoa. As numerous studies have shown, taking into account people’s cultural needs and preferences facilitates the success of care practices. What does Pepper do? He chats, remembers things to do, connects with health professionals and family members.
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Trials in the UK and Japan
The third year of the project was dedicated to experimentation in the UK and Japan. THE tests in the United Kingdom were carried out by the University of Genoa, which sent its own Engineer / Researcher from February to October 2019, in collaboration with a team from the University of Bedfordshire and Advinia HealthCare, experts in psychology and public health. Il robot interacted completely autonomously (not remotely controlled) with the residents in their room for 18 hours, divided into 6 three-hour sessions spread over 2 weeks. Our engineers and researchers at the University of Bedfordshire were obviously ready to intervene in case of technical or other problems. Participants were divided into groups: with robot and without robot (usual care). The first group was in turn divided into two further subgroups: people assigned a culturally competent robot or a “normal” one. Data was collected at the start of the test, at the end of the first week, and at the end of the second using validated questionnaires to measure physical and mental health, loneliness and positive or negative attitude towards robots.
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The results obtained
The results? In the group with the robot (and, in particular, in the first subgroup) it is measured an increase in mental health, compared to a statistically significant decrease in mental health in the robot-free group. Always in the group with the robot it is detected a slight decrease in loneliness between the start and the end of the study, while the robot-free group experienced a slight increase. A fairly large increase in emotional well-being was also observed for the group with the robot and, in particular, in the subgroup with the culturally competent prepared robot. Finally, improved positive perception towards robots in participants who have had one.
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Test also in Italy (if the project is approved)
Why were the tests not carried out in Italy? Why Europe wants partnerships made up of researchers from different states. But we have already undergone evaluation a new European project (which is not known if it will be approved) which includes a large test campaign in Italy. In addition to foreign partners, this new project will see a greater number of Italian partners, answers Sgorbissa. Who worked with you? The Genoa research group was composed of young researchers, none of them a structured university lecturer. The research was done together, but the Artificial Intelligence programming was done by them. I am very proud of them: Barbara Bruno, Roberto Menicatti and Carmine Recchiuto, who is currently a temporary (precarious) researcher in the hope of becoming part of the staff. To them is added our ethics expert, Linda Battistuzzi.
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Goal: to put Caresses on the cloud
The final result? The project produced a prototype of artificial intelligence, which works completely autonomously but obviously not yet a “product” ready for the market. To make it so, one year of work can be estimated (assuming to find the necessary investments). Obviously, the functionality is currently limited to social interaction: chat, remember things to do, connect with health professionals and family members. If you want to add functionality, further research is required. And now? The robot used in Caresses Pepper, produced by SoftBank Robotics, with a cost of around 15 thousand euros. We think the future lies in moving Caresses AI to the cloud, to allow any device to connect to it and become capable of social interaction. an ambitious goal that we are already working on. This would allow to use disparate devices for the same function: from simple home assistants, to “simple” robots costing a few hundred euros (there are several on the market, especially in Asia), to much more complex robots like Pepper.
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29 September 2020 (modified on 29 September 2020 | 18:29)
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