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| Image credit: Robonable | ROBO-FES |
In Japan
pet-assistive and
robot-pet-assistive therapies are commonly used as occupational therapies for patients with severe and moderate dementia. Robot-pet-assistive therapy involves play interactions between the pet-robot (
PARO) and dementia patients. There have also been several attempts in Japan to use
doll therapy, in which baby dolls are introduced to the dementia patients, to remind patients of their younger days when they cared for real babies. A study found, that patients never became weary of the dolls. It is difficult for them to recognize differences between real babies and dolls, and they are willing to take care of a baby doll. Blood-pressure and heart-rate readings decreased in patients who were introduced to baby dolls. Social and psychological functions also improved.(1)
Kanou Masayoshi, Associate Professor at Chukyo University of Science and Technology, has developed a new type of social robot to study how it might impact on dementia patients mood. The robot doll called
Babyloid is used for experiments at a Japanese elderly care home to study acceptance of robot dolls by the users and to motivate the elderly to take on an active care-giving role. The Babyloid robot might be released in two years and could sell for 50.000 JPY ($600) in the future.
(1)
Baby dolls as therapeutic tools for severe dementia patients (source: Robonable (JP) via Plasticpals)
