In a first, culturally sensitive robots created to take care of elderly

With the aim to ease lives of senior citizens, scientists have created world's first culturally sensitive robots to take proper care of the elderly.

It was already believed that care robots could help elderly people with everything from staying active to remembering their medications. Now, Artificial Intelligence researchers from Japan, UK and Örebro University are ensuring that such robots do not offend people they take care of by making the world’s first robots with a sense of cultural norms.

Funded by the European Union and Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, these culturally sensitive robots are a project by Culture-Aware Robots and Environmental Sensor Systems for Elderly Support (CARESSES). These robots may adapt the way it moves, talks, gestures and how it suggests appropriate topics of conversations depending on the individual it interacts with.

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Video Courtesy: CARESSES - Culturally Aware Robots

Futurism explained, a SoftBank Pepper robot was programmed to adjust its behavior to conform to the cultural background of the person it interacts with. For example, the robot will know not to suggest steak for dinner to a person who practices Hinduism, or would know how an elderly Japanese woman might want to celebrate the springtime festival of Setsubun. However, the researchers didn’t explain how the robot will get to know the person’s cultural background.

The team will test its culturally competent robots in retirement homes in Japan and the UK. Researcher Alessandro Saffiotti said, “We’ll be examining if people feel more comfortable with robots that take into account their culture and if their presence increases the quality of life of the elderly.”

Moreover, Saffiotti believes that his robot can help more people than just the elderly as well. He said, “Already today, robots are present in our lives. They’re found in our schools, hospitals, our homes and businesses, and we believe that if they are also culturally competent, they will more easily be accepted by the people they interact with.”

“Companies should also be interested in selling robots to people of different cultural backgrounds in different countries,” he added.