Myongji Hospital, a tertiary medical facility in South Korea’s Gyeonggi province, is developing an AI-driven care robot to assist patients with dementia.
The AI robot called “PIO” will be developed as part of a technology development agreement recently signed with Whydots, a local robot manufacturer.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The PIO robot, like a parrot, aims to stimulate attachment and emotion in patients with early-stage dementia. It has a camera that recognizes the user’s face and facial expressions and can express emotions through LED eyes and body movements.
During development, Myongji will contribute the experience and clinical data of dementia patients accumulated from the Baekse-chongmyung School, which runs the hospital’s community-based dementia management program. . The hospital will also draft cognitive interventions.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
According to a press statement, PIO can help reduce depression and improve users’ emotional stability and cognitive abilities. A first trial of the technology earlier this year showed it improved the emotional well-being and mental abilities of patients at Baekse-chongmyung School. It also received high satisfaction from users.
PIO is also expected to ease the workload for nursing staff by interacting with patients while assisting in managing their condition.
TREND TO BIGGER WOMAN
Local governments in South Korea have provided companion robots to single people and people living with mental health issues to support their health. Government of Chungnam Province is currently testing AI-based care robots, which have been deployed to help communicate with single residents and those living with mental health issues as part of efforts to prevent suicide. . Gwanak District in Seoul has followed suit by deploying an AI robot called Channy to serve as a personal companion for single adults in their community.
ON PROFILE
South Korea’s elderly population is growing rapidly, accounting for about 16% of the total population or 8.53 million last year. According to Statistics Korea, this increasing trend is likely to continue, possibly reaching around 13 million people by 2030 and 17 million by 2040. By 2050, people 65 and older will likely make up more than 40% of the entire population.
Myongji Hospital director Kim Jin-gu said: “As the number of dementia patients will increase due to the rapidly aging population, proper and effective treatment and management of dementia should be made. is very necessary.
He added that Myongji Hospital will continue to develop technology and produce content for dementia-friendly artificial intelligence care robots using the know-how and expertise gained from operating the Baekse-chongmyung School. .
