Robots can accompany the elderly, but they cannot be the only ones to accompany them

Today is a day that we all know but often ignore. Even the protagonists do not pay much attention to this festival that belongs to them - the Double Ninth Festival.

These elderly people who have worked hard for most of their lives say that they don't care about the Double Ninth Festival, but in their hearts they very much hope to be accompanied. It's just that young people are under great pressure in urban life, and their children who are busy outside have no time to take care of the elderly. In addition, the Double Ninth Festival is not a national statutory holiday, so this festival has gradually faded.

As a result, the elderly companionship has become a big market. Some people choose to buy pets for their parents. Pets are lively and cute, and can form a good interactive experience with people. This is the choice of some people. For a time, the pet market ushered in a new heat. But pets also bring some problems. For example, in terms of safety, there have been many recent incidents of dogs attacking people, which inevitably makes people worry. For example, in terms of hygiene, the elderly may not be willing to spend too much time cleaning their pets. At the same time, they are also worried that some viruses that can infect people and animals can easily be transmitted to the elderly with weak immunity. In terms of maintenance, the elderly may over-indulge their pets, which makes the pets prone to illness and causes greater expenses...

At this time, a group of technology geeks set their sights on robots for companionship . With the help of large models, a humanoid robot with embodied intelligence seems to be a good product in the companionship industry. The smart brain of the humanoid robot can store more data, such as the living habits of the elderly, the time to take health products, etc., and can intelligently generate nutritional recipes that suit them, becoming an excellent 24-hour nanny.

Can robots do it? Are robots useful? Are there enough robots?

Many people are skeptical about robots because in many people's minds, robots are still the same as they were ten years ago, clumsy and reckless, unable to guarantee safety; many people are optimistic about robots taking over this task because in their eyes, robots are high-tech products and the crystallization of technology, and their appearance should serve mankind in this way.

Humanoid robot companies are obviously the latter. They are working hard to create an embodied intelligent humanoid robot, hoping to seize this huge market. It is not difficult to find that every humanoid robot manufacturer promotes the use of humanoid robots in the care scene. Care has become an important commercial application scenario for humanoid robots, and it is also hoped to achieve in the short term.

Figure, which claims to be the world's first commercial humanoid robot, has targeted the blue ocean market of caregiving since its inception. They believe that humanoid robots taking care of the elderly will benefit about 1 billion people. At the same time, Figure detailed their planned path for the development of humanoid robots on its official website, namely, building a fully functional electromechanical humanoid robot, performing human-like operations, and incorporating humanoid robots into the workforce are the three steps of Figure's humanoid robot evolution, even though their robots have just learned to walk.

Japan has indeed moved robots into nursing homes. In Fukuoka, Japan, caregivers at a nursing home are using a boy-shaped AI robot to help relieve anxiety and other symptoms of dementia patients when caregivers are unable to chat with patients. Talking to nursing home residents is an important way to relieve their stress, especially those with dementia, who may feel anxious and panic, and calming them down can be a challenge.

However, the road to robots serving as companions for the elderly is long and arduous. Currently, humanoid robots are still in their infancy and are still far from meeting the technical requirements for companionship. At the same time, the industrial chain is not yet perfect, and humanoid robots are very expensive. If the price cannot be brought down, even the best products will find it difficult to enter ordinary people's homes.

Musk once said that humanoid robots will sell better than electric cars in the future, because everyone will buy a humanoid robot as their assistant. This is indeed an ideal assumption. From the technical solution of making robots usable to the industrial solution of making robots cheap, this is the only way for robots or any product to sell well.

But in terms of companionship, robots are far from enough. Robots can be nannies and housekeepers, but they can never have human emotions. After all, machines are cold, and humans are warm. The real companionship is to take time out of your busy schedule to return home, rather than letting robots become your avatar.