Facilitating the Human Connection Where it Matters Most

I recently returned from a trip to Japan to see first-hand the role robotics play in senior living communities. While robots are a growing topic throughout the North American seniors' industry, Japan's rapidly expanding elderly population and corresponding caregiver shortage has accelerated the technology. In her 2014 paper published by Brookings, "How Humans Respond to Robots: Building Public Policy through Good Design," Heather Knight discusses why she believes robotics will become an accepted part of daily life. Her premise is that people create the need for machines and guide the plans for development. She writes, "Partnering the capabilities of people with those of machines enables innovation, improved application performance and exploration beyond what either partner could do individually."