Robots for the Elderly
As our population age, robots will become an increasingly important part of our future to assist the elderly. Assisted living development project aims to tackle the career shortage problem. Molly the robot, developed by Bristol Robotics Laboratory last year, will assist an elderly person with tasks such as remembering appointments, monitoring heartbeat, temperature, or alerting someone to a fall (video included).
Why robots might just be what the doctors ordered for the world’s elderly.

Across the world people are living longer and maintaining the health of this older population is an enormous challenge. However, scientists at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the UK believe they may have found the answer – Molly.

Programmed with functions such as reminders about appointments and medication, Molly is a robot which can also detect if the user is unwell by monitoring their heartbeat and temperature and can sense if they have fallen over. Molly might just be the future of care and allow the older population to live healthy and independent lives.

Dr Joff Lacey travels to Bristol to find out how Molly and other robots could be the carers of the future.