Robotic Pets: A Senior's Best Friend?

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PARO the robotic seal. Photo: Paul Allais, via Flickr. Distributed under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

We are in the midst of a demographic phenomenon known as the graying of society. In more affluent countries, the population is aging. This demographic shift, along with a shortage of health care personnel, has led to increasing demand for new technologies that can assist the elderly in their daily lives. One result is a growing menagerie of robotic pets designed to address the companionship needs of older adults. Who are robotic pets for and what can they do?

Read my latest story for IEEE Pulse magazine: Robotic Pets: A Senior's Best Friend?

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