Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have received a 3 year, nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to research communication between robots and the elderly and to eventually write software to allow robots to help healthy but immobile seniors.
On the surface this seems like a great plan; robots will be able to make the lives of those they are helping much better, while relieving family members of care duties. Ultimately, this will lead to complete integration of the robot helpers with the lives of the elderly.
