One of the biggest use case proposals for home robots, at least next to cleaning floors, is the care of older members of the family. Whether it’s reminding them of their medication or delivering the newspaper to their side, these rolling robots are imagined to give much-needed assistance to less ambulant members of the household. But while that’s definitely a necessity, it makes the generalization that older people at home are all stuck to their seats most of the day.
Many senior citizens, especially those who are just starting their retirement stage, don’t have such needs yet. They’re still able to move on their own and even prefer a bit of independence while they can still physically enjoy it. More often than not, what they do need is some form of companionship, not necessarily from people, and this robot pet concept tries to deliver that kind of emotional support that impersonal “delivery” robots might not be able to.
Designers: Seo hyun Mok, Jeongseok Hwang
Of course, those robots for seniors being advertised by some companies try to have a friendly face that can theoretically appeal to these people, but the emotional connection ends there. It’s the same as having a courier simply delivering your items with a smile. For older people who can simply walk over to the counter on their own, it doesn’t add much value to their lives.
Careby is more like an emotional support pet than a personal caregiver, designed to offer the kind of companionship older people now seek from flesh and blood animals. Without the hassle of feeding and cleaning, of course. It looks like a cross between a cat and some quadruped critter, except it has wheels for feet instead. And, of course, it’s supposed to be AI-driven so that it can intelligently respond to voice prompts or react to your facial expressions.
What’s a little interesting is that Careby is not supposed to be an obedient robot by design. It will sometimes refuse to obey commands or display a stubborn streak, mimicking the behavior of real-life pets or even children. To some extent, it tries to create a more spontaneous and believable relationship, though it’s walking on a slipper slope as older people tend to be less patient as years go by.
Truth be told, Careby might look like any other home robot toy that’s growing in number in the smart home market today, though it might be one of the first to target a very specific niche audience. Most of these will be powered by AI, so it’s not exactly a unique feature, but it does bring to mind the diverse needs of people at home, especially older members who are still able to take care of themselves but need more than just physical care.
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