‘Perrete’ is the name of the dog-shaped robot that is being experimented with to improve the quality of life of people with Alzheimer’s. The robot is part of the change in the healthcare field and the non-pharmacological therapy with which the professionals at the Ballesol Mirasierra center in Madrid work, which has 15 residents and the majority of them have moderate and severe dementia.
In cases with severe cognitive impairment or advanced Alzheimer’s, what they do is “maintain quality of life and promote external stimulation and response to the environment,” describes the psychologist at this Alba San José residence.
Interaction with this robotic dog, designed to imitate the behavior and appearance of real dogs, both in look and feel, offers functionalities capable of improving the quality of life of older people.
Thus, ‘Perrete’ has helped one of the residents, Eugenio, according to professionals from the center. Also, Eugenio’s wife explains that, despite the illness, the company of the robotic dog has “benefits”, since “he is calmer and more relaxed, and although it is difficult for him to speak, he interacts with both of them with caresses and gestures of affection.”
Methodology
Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), the robot dog’s multiple sensors allow it to respond to the people around it, expressing emotions by opening and closing its eyes, moving its head or making sounds.
Likewise, residence professionals point out that this therapeutic activity is established to “work with people with severe cognitive impairment, with probable or frequent agitation, wandering, impairment of the motor system or aggression, among other behaviors.”
Robot dog and cat prototypes for therapy with people with Alzheimer’s
Likewise, the intervention from this methodology is worked on in the Ballesol Mirasierra residence from areas such as emotional, with channeling of affectivity and increasing the feeling of well-being; the social area, increasing social interactions and the bond with the robot); the motor area, with movements of the trunk and upper extremities; and cognitive, increasing the level of activity and attention capacity.
Furthermore, San José emphasizes that from the first week of therapy “aspects such as attention, perception or memory” can be improved. At an emotional level, these issues are improved by “encouraging the expression of positive emotions or interaction with other users, and at a functional level, promoting ambulation and motor skills.”
At the same time, the center maintains that promoting cognitive stimulation in a person with Alzheimer’s through robotic therapy “is possible.”
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