Researchers at Missouri’s Saint Louis University have released the results of a study suggesting that elderly people do not mind if their pet dog is real or a robotic mimic. The researchers took a real dog called Sparky and a robotic imitation called AIBO to three American nursing homes to test the reaction of elderly people towards the dogs.
Although Sparky was the preferred option amongst the 38 nursing home residents involved in the study, both dogs offered fairly similar levels of comfort to the residents during the seven weeks they visited. Given the fact that a robotic dog wouldn’t need to be fed or walked, the researchers felt the robotic mimic could represent a more practical replacement for a demanding real dog.
Dr William Banks, the doctor who led the study, reportedly commented that while AIBO is no longer being used, similar robots could be useful in the future, and could even be used to alert others to any emergencies that arise.
