We're going to need companions, all of us. Or so Japanese roboticists believe.
(Buddy robot)
90% of seniors aged 65 and older want to spend the remaining time of their lives as much as possible at home. Even in North America alone, there are 8,000 people a day at 65 years old. Even if you need some kind of nursing care etc, 80% of them want to stay at home.
According to a survey conducted by University College London, it is known that human longevity will be shortened by loneliness and isolation caused by reduced interaction with others.
The robot "BUDDY" of Blue Frog Robotics was developed with the aim of being a companion robot for these seniors. With BUDDY, seniors living alone can not only be blessed with companion but also be reminded to drink the most recent schedule or medicine.
BUDDY can also monitor the state of the house. For example, if the master of a house collapses while it is alone, it will discover it and find other abnormal situations and tell it to the outside.
Buddy seems to be a combination of PhilDickian devices; the robot from The Impossible Planet (1953) and of course the nanny robot from his 1955 short story of that name.
Which was also kind of bulbous.
(Original nanny robot illustration from Startling Stories)
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!)
is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for
the Invention Category that interests
you, the Glossary, the Invention
Timeline, or see what's New.
Illustrating Classic Heinlein With AI
'Stasis, cold sleep, hibernation, hypothermia, reduced metabolism, call it what you will - the logistics-medicine research teams had found a way to stack people like cordwood and use them when needed.'
Deflector Plasma Screen For Drones ala Star Wars
'If the enemy persists in attacking or even intensifies their power, the density of the plasma in space will suddenly increase, causing it to reflect most of the incoming energy like a mirror.'