Remote-Control Pets Create Real Companionship for Seniors

In the 2012 movie “Robot & Frank,” the adult child of an elderly man dealing with isolation and dementia gives his father a robot companion to keep him company and alleviate the effects of his illness. The film is set in the near future, but the basic technology behind the premise –- using electronic companions to provide a therapeutic benefit to the elderly –- could be for sale in just a few months.

Launched in February, GeriJoy Technologies is developing software, built to run primarily on an iPad or Android tablet, that allows users to communicate with each other via an electronic companion in form of a simply animated brown dog named Buddy. The software is controlled by humans, not artificial intelligence. Typing isn’t required; just the ability to speak or touch the screen. The idea is to offer seniors a constant companion to help allay loneliness and the symptoms of some illnesses, the same way a living, breathing pet would –- without the same responsibilities a real animal demands.