‘Carebots’: A Dream for Carers or a Dangerous Fantasy?

May 23, 2023

(The Guardian) – Even more revolutionary would be “care bots” such as Pepper, a semi-humanoid bot that engages in conversation and leads exercises or games. It’s one of several such bots that the Japanese government has introduced to residential care facilities. Robear, another Japanese creation, looks exactly like you might expect a robot bear to look – big round eyes and a stocky body. It is apparently capable of lifting people from beds to wheelchairs. This could be hugely helpful to caregivers, more than half of whom report having their own long-term health condition or disability and so find the physical tasks of care difficult. But according to James Wright of the Alan Turing Institute, this is little more than fantasy. (Read More)