For the first time in France, a humanoid robot will animate physical and playful activities in a retirement home.
“I am blown away”, “He is very cute”. This Thursday afternoon, the new arrival at the Lasserre retirement home in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, won over the residents. It must be said that the humanoid robot does not go unnoticed. Barely 60cm tall and weighing less than 5kg, Nao is a technology-driven featherweight.
Benevolent and endearing, the little robot is always there to chat, dance or play. “What is your favorite music? “,” What is your favorite poem? “,” Oh yes and why? »… Far from being intimidated, Nao does not hesitate to ask a host of questions to Mme Bouton, amused, who readily answers them and who gladly recites her favorite poem in front of fifty people. “I am amazed because I had only seen this on television. It makes me want to know more, to do more things with him, ”says the resident.
Mediator for seniors
Impossible to get bored with this little machine, and that’s why the retirement home called on him. “Nao will have a role of mediator with our residents, explains Aurélia Ausseur, psychologist. It will be used for activities, therapeutic workshops with memory games for example. “
The humanoid robot is obviously not there to replace the personnel but to assist them. “Nao is a partner, an added value for the facilitator,” adds David Jacob, responsible for social life and communication at the Lasserre retirement home. He will take care of the morning press review, show the gentle gymnastics movements in the afternoon or even play chess or lotto at the end of the day, Nao will be on all fronts.
Detect falls
Designed in 2006 by the French company Aldebaran, Nao can walk, recognize the people around him and memorize their first name. It even has sensors to detect caresses. But to be able to support the elderly, it had to be programmed. “Almost 90% of the program was created by hospitals and nursing homes. They are the ones who tell our developers what they need and what could help them in supporting seniors ”, reveals Fabrice Goffin, co-administrator of the company Zora Robotics, creator of the Zora solution. Thanks to this program, Nao knows how to detect falls and was able to become the first “robot caregiver”.
Today, “78 retirement homes in the Netherlands and Belgium are working with Nao and the Zora solution,” says Fabrice Goffin. We would never have believed that we would be so successful and even go beyond the borders of Flanders ”. And yet, since its launch, all of Europe has been ordering. The Belgian company will very soon install the pet robot in the south of France, Finland and Germany. It is still necessary to count 15,000 euros to acquire the small robot.
Arrived in the Issy-les-Moulineaux establishment for two weeks, Nao will accompany the residents for three months before visiting the other seniors of the city. “This will give us time to find other ways to use it, and for the residents, it will be a renewal that will allow them to rediscover the robot,” explains the psychologist.
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