UK researchers trial robots to ease social care burden

Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have programmed robots, including Pepper – who was launched as the world’s first humanoid in Japan in 2014 – to perform tasks normally carried out by care workers. — AFP

EDINBURGH: Pepper’s skill set includes making phone calls, identifying missing items in the kitchen and occasional aerobics instruction.

Now, after a surge in loneliness among vulnerable groups during the coronavirus pandemic, this robot’s potential as a companion have earned her a role in a Scottish university’s assisted living experiment with artificial intelligence.