WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Computerized "pets," such as those coming from Japanese electronics makers, could approach their flesh-and-blood counterparts in providing people with social interaction stimuli, scientists said Thursday.
Purdue University is running a year-long study that puts an "AIBO" robot dog for six weeks in the homes of people 65 years and older who live alone, said Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond in Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine.
Cats and dogs have the well-documented ability to improve patients' stress levels, blood pressure and other factors. Using robots could do the same while alleviating a medical staff's worries about possible animal drawbacks, such as the need for feeding and exercise, Beck said.
"We want to see if robots can provide social stimulation in places such as assisted-living facilities and nursing homes," Beck told United Press International. "The robots have just enough movement and action to allow people to suspend their disbelief."
Using a robot also avoids the possibility of an animal being neglected or abandoned, Beck said.
Although people have been suspicious of the idea at first, positive reactions have come quickly and strongly, Beck said. The first participant, in her 90s, started off thinking the robot's needs would include things such as batteries. After three weeks of hosting the AIBO, however, she said it needed attention and physical contact, Beck said.
"We're also finding people get so involved they start using the same pseudo-language with the AIBO that they would with real animals," Beck said. The robot spurs more person-to-person contact as well, with visitors such as grandchildren coming by more often, he said.
The robot's programming introduces enough random activity to keep a person's attention, Beck said. It can even provide mental stimulation, such as with a simple card game, that can alleviate feelings of isolation, he said.
Despite their advantages, robots such as AIBO lack the literal "warm and fuzzy" feelings of a living animal, said Edith Markoff, coordinator of the Dog Visitation Program at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati. This sort of approach is nonetheless a valuable adjunct to animal-assisted therapy, Markoff told UPI.
"I can see occupational therapy uses with children that would be incredibly effective," Markoff said. "Once you start playing with technology, it becomes so clear how you could use it."
The robots would be especially useful in environments such as cancer or transplant wards, where animals are forbidden, Markoff said.
Improvements in the robots' design will take them past simple interaction, said Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing at Purdue also involved in the study.
"Ideally, down the road, these robotic pet companions could become a more valuable health asset," Edwards said. "They will record their masters' blood pressure, oxygen levels or heart rhythms."
One manufacturer already is working to include a blood-pressure sensor in its robot, Beck said, so holding the robot does more than just give the "owner" something to cuddle. Other possibilities include alerting a nurses' station if the person does not react to the robot for extended periods, he said.
Those sorts of monitoring activities could be very useful in home-care situations, Markoff said.
Japanese researchers have done similar studies with Paro, a fairly simple, "baby seal" creation with a few novel twists to appear more true-to-life. A combination of airbag-based pressure sensors and artificial fur creates a soft, pliable surface allowing Paro to sense when it is being petted. The end of Paro's power cord is shaped like a baby's pacifier, which is placed in the robot's mouth while it recharges.
The study showed sessions with the robot improve the subjects' emotional states and they reported feeling more vigorous. Nursing staff members also reported fewer symptoms of job burnout after dealing with Paro and the subjects, the study's authors said.
Purdue and the University of Washington are working together on the AIBO study, funded by the National Science Foundation.
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(Reported by Scott R. Burnell, UPI Science Correspondent, in Washington)
