Opinion Would You Let a Robot Take Care of Your Mother?

After Constance Gemson moved her mother to an assisted living facility, the 92-year-old became more confused, lonely and inarticulate. Two full-time private aides, kind and attentive as they were, couldn't possibly meet all their patient's needs for connection. So on a visit one day, Ms. Gemson brought her mom a new helper: a purring, nuzzling robot cat designed as a companion for older adults. "It's not a substitute for care," says Ms. Gemson, whose mother died last June at age 95. "But this was someone my mother could hug and embrace and be accepted by. This became a reliable friend."