News > Smart & Connected Life 26 26 people found this article helpful NY State to Hand Out 800 Companion Robots to the Elderly 'First-ever proactive and empathetic care companion' By Lawrence Bonk Lawrence Bonk News Reporter Florida State University Lawrence Bonk is a tech news reporter for Lifewire, specializing in gaming, AI, VR, and consumer tech, including iOS, macOS, wearables, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on May 25, 2022 12:08PM EDT Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Between Amazon’s Astro, Miko 3, Moxie, and those nightmare-inducing “dogs” created by Boston Dynamics, robots are having something of a moment. Now there’s a robot developed exclusively for older adults, and New York state is giving away 800 of them along with monthly subscriptions, as reported in a press release. The bot is called ElliQ and is advertised as a “sidekick for healthier, happier aging.” Intuition Robotics The robots, developed by Israeli firm Intuition Robotics, typically cost $250 plus a $30 monthly subscription charge, and the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) purchased 800 for an undisclosed price to be given away at a later date to elderly recipients as part of an initiative to combat loneliness. ElliQ has been in development for several years and offers many features found in digital assistants like Siri and Alexa, but with a proactive and chatty spin. These bots can’t help users with physical tasks, but they can keep track of health goals, remind people to take meds, and even engage in small talk. Intuition Robotics also says that ElliQ robots remember key details about their owners’ lives and personalities. For instance, if someone laughs a lot, ElliQ will learn to rely on joke-telling as part of its subroutine. To that end, scientific reports indicate companion robots do offer the potential to improve well-being in older adults. This isn’t the only tech-heavy test run that the New York State Office for the Aging is currently engaged with. The organization is currently running an animatronic pet initiative, a ride-sharing service aimed at the elderly, and various online communities complete with facilitator-led classes and services. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit