IBM Working On Robot To Help Elderly

(RTTNews) - IBM in collaboration with Rice University has created the IBM Multi-Purpose Eldercare Robot Assistant (IBM MERA), a robot that can provide assistance to the elderly and their caregivers.

The MERA uses IBM's Watson AI to provide assistance to the elderly and monitor vital signs and environmental changes in a non-invasive manner.

IBM Research also plans to work with Sole Cooperativa, a healthcare provider in Italy, to install sensors in senior housing communities to monitor day-to-day activities of residents.

According to the United Nations, the number of people 60 years old or older is expected to grow by 56 percent worldwide by 2030.

"Now is the time to invest in, care for, protect, and empower our aging population so they can live more independent lives," Arvind Krishna, senior vice president, IBM Research, said in a statement.

"Our new research on 'embodied cognition,' which can combine real-time data generated by sensors with cognitive computing, will explore how to provide clinicians and caregivers with insights that could help them make better care decisions for their patients."

IBM expects to use IBM MERA, the Internet of Things, and other cognitive-powered technologies to study how data from atmospheric, motion and falling, audio and olfactory sensors can be used by caregivers to improve healthcare of senior people.