
The Download: Ageless Innovation’s Joy for All Companion Pets
Pets can be a great companion and truly are a part of the family. But for lots of reasons, not everyone can have an actual pet. So how about a robotic one?
Pets can be a great companion and truly are a part of the family. But for lots of reasons, not everyone can have an actual pet. So how about a robotic one?
Following robotic versions of cats and golden retriever puppies designed to provide companionship to seniors without all of the cleanup and demands of pet ownership, Ageless Innovation’s Joy For All line is introducing a new animatronic bird designed to perch on a walker to help motivate older adults to embrace their mobility aids.
The idea for the Walker Squawker (yes, that’s what it’s actually called) is credited to 93-year-old Rita Melone who, after 90 years of getting around on her own, found it challenging to adapt to a walker, and to remember to actually use it whenever she got up. But instead of constant reminders from a nurse or other caregiver which could create negative associations to a mobility aid, the Walker Squawker seems like a fun and innocuous way to passively encourage walker use because its animated movements are designed to emulate a real bird— a species which, as far as we know, doesn’t spend a lot of its time judging humanity.
They move, make noise and respond to your touch, but these animatronic animals are not your typical toy. The 20 dogs and cats currently sitting in the Crook County Senior Service (CCSS) office are designed to be companions for people suffering from dementia – and research suggests they can have a significant impact on quality of life.
Schmidt’s Kitty is a robotic pet, one of a new breed of electronic cats and dogs that can pant, yawn, whine and wag; some even have an audible heartbeat. They have been designed specifically for older people, especially those with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The lifelike animals can be soothing and can provide much needed companionship or a distraction from dislocation or pain.
DUBLIN — To help ward off some of the isolation and loneliness elderly dementia patients in hospice care have been experiencing during the pandemic, workers at one organization have come up with a creative idea: robotic animals to bring them comfort.
WAILUKU, Hawaii – Robotic pets being a great substitute for pet-loving seniors who can’t take care of a pet any longer. Maui and Kauai Counties gave hundreds of them away to low-income seniors in January.