Japanese humanoid robot ‘Pepper’ has emotions – specially made for dementia patients

#humanoidrobot #PepperRobot #emotionalrobot #dementia With the increase in the life expectancy of people and, consequent increase in the number of aged persons all around us, it is but natural that problems related to those suffering from dementia gradually take center stage.
Japan has, therefore, created a humanoid robot to take care of dementia patients – these robots have that emotional touch and can become invaluable in taking care of such persons. The robots called Pepper can help take care of people with dementia by recognizing their emotions.
One of the robots is at present in the Nishi-Koigakubo Ninjin Home – this is a special elderly nursing home in western Tokyo. The elderly dementia patients can spend time with Pepper.
This humanoid robot with artificial intelligence is being developed by SoftBank Mobile. It claims to be the world's first robot that has been designed to serve people by recognizing their emotions. It is expected that Pepper would take over responsibilities of a conversation partner for those suffering from dementia.
During its visit to the Nishi-Koigakubo Ninjin Home, the robot Pepper played a game and showed off its dancing skills also. There are plans for the robot to provide better support for dementia patients by encouraging the elderly to talk about their memories.
Pepper is set to retail for 198,000 yen on the consumer market in February.