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Pearl the
Robot Makes Life Easier for Elderly
By
REUTERS
NYtimes, July 31, 2002
Elderly people in a U.S. retirement home have been
getting some extra help with their daily activities from an unlikely
source -- a robot called Pearl.
The mechanical maid uses ultrasound and laser
rangefinders to whiz around the home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania reminding
residents of appointments and chatting with her elderly charges about the
weather and the latest TV listings.
``Pearl's chief task is to remind people of their
appointments, their mealtimes and social events, and to escort them to
their destinations,'' New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.
Pearl speaks and displays messages on a
touch-sensitive screen in very big type which makes it easier for patients
with failing eyesight to read, and gently reminds them when it is time to
eat if their memory fails.
Sebastian Thrun and scientists at Carnegie Mellon
University in Pennsylvania and Martha Pollack of the University of
Michigan said their creation has been a success with patients, who enjoy
interacting with it.
But early trials showed it whizzed about too quickly
for elderly people so future models will be programmed to vary their
speed.
Pearl's software uses artificial intelligence and the
magazine said that eventually she might also keep tabs on medication
schedules.
``We have to first demonstrate to the FDA's (U.S. Food
and Drug Administration) satisfaction that Pearl will never give the wrong
advice,'' said Pollack.
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© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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