New ‘lab’ for robots in aged care
How robots can improve care for people in aged care will be the focus at Queensland’s Griffith University’s Social Robotics and Assistive Technology Laboratory opening today.
A new lab will see students and researchers get up close and personal with a host of robots being trialled in aged, community and acute care facilities in Australia and overseas.
The lab opening will bring together the public as well as health care professionals, students and researchers to get up close and personal with a host of robots currently being trialled in aged, community and acute care facilities in Australia and overseas.
Leading the event will be Professor Wendy Moyle, from Griffith Health Institute’s Centre for Health Practice Innovation, and who has been widely publicised for her successful research into how robots can help people with dementia and their carers.
The Social and Assistive Technology Laboratory at Griffith University has been described as an Australian first and is visionary in its aims. It will offer a place where the community can engage with the academic community while learning about older people, dementia and the use of technology and robotics.
“It will be a place for individuals and care providers to come for expert advice, as well as to offer expert advice, to try out technologies, and to work together on new proposals and uses for existing technologies,” Professor Moyle says.
“It will also be a place of research and development, where older people, individuals with dementia and carers can assist the advancement of knowledge through involvement in research. In addition, the student community will also be able to join in with these older people and the dementia community to learn from each other about individual needs and opportunities.”
Within 10 years, there is set to be one billion older people worldwide. Australia contributes to this growth where the fastest growing age group are people aged 65 years and over who currently constitute 14.4% of the Australian population.
“Professor Moyle and her team are currently conducting one of the largest companion robotic studies and it has received enormous interest from the international community,” Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian O’Connor says.
“To date their research has demonstrated that persons with dementia, as well as staff and family can greatly benefit from the incorporation of social robots into care. Rather than reducing the human element of care, their research demonstrates that social robots are increasing human interaction.
“The team’s Telepresence robots have enabled families and people living with dementia to connect together no matter where individuals are in the world,” he says.
Demonstrations of the robots and a tour of the laboratory will take place at Griffith University’s Social Robotics and Assistive Technology Laboratory opening.
