Robot Carers

Robots caring for elderly human beings are not quite as futuristic as science fiction movies would have you believe.

In a lab in Bristol scientists are trying to develop robots that may one day help older people stay independently at home for longer.

The robots will provide care and companionship to the elderly just as a human being would. This is an effort to try and solve the issue of caring for Britain’s increasingly ageing population.

The Bristol Robotics Laboratory, supported by a grant of 3.5 million pounds from the European Union has many projects running under development. One of these is called Mobiserv which allows a robot to help with tasks such as ordering the groceries and reminding people when to take their medication.

Another robot helps those who have had a stroke develop the strength in their hand again. Yet another robot has been designed to look like a human with all the facial expressions which can be used to convey emotions. However people are still sceptical about robots totally replacing humans as care givers to the elderly.