Could a robot dog help people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia? American entrepreneur Tom Stevens thinks so. He recently presented a test version of a yellow Labrador puppy to residents of a nursing home in the American state of California. To develop the device, Stevens’ company Tombot worked with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, a company established by the famous creator of the Muppets. “It didn’t just have to look real and feel realistic but it had to behave realistically as well,” Stevens said about the robot puppy. Stevens believes the Tombot dog, which moves its head from side to side and wags its tail, can help people with dementia. It also is easier to care for than a real dog, he said. The robot has 16 motors to control its movements and has sensors that cause it to respond to voice commands and detect how people are touching it.
Title: Can Robot Dogs Help People with Alzheimer’s?
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/c4db4869-2bcd-4bce-aa60-f158e1885fc3_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Can Robot Dogs Help People with Alzheimers?' data-article-id='3960'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8875'>Could a robot dog help people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia?</span> <span data-start-time='8875' data-end-time='14188'>American entrepreneur Tom Stevens thinks so.</span> <span data-start-time='14188' data-end-time='27417'>He recently presented a test version of a yellow Labrador puppy to residents of a nursing home in the American state of California.</span> <span data-start-time='27417' data-end-time='42667'>To develop the device, Stevens’ company Tombot worked with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, a company established by the famous creator of the Muppets.</span> <span data-start-time='42667' data-end-time='55125'>“It didn’t just have to look real and feel realistic but it had to behave realistically as well,” Stevens said about the robot puppy.</span> <span data-start-time='55125' data-end-time='67563'>Stevens believes the Tombot dog, which moves its head from side to side and wags its tail, can help people with dementia.</span> <span data-start-time='67563' data-end-time='73688'>It also is easier to care for than a real dog, he said.</span> <span data-start-time='73688' data-end-time='88104'>The robot has 16 motors to control its movements and has sensors that cause it to respond to voice commands and detect how people are touching it.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/4020840F-A996-4D86-8505-CEBC10F0F76D_cx0_cy4_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=13222 data-hint-location='14188' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/what_is_a_puppy.wav'>What is a puppy?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a young dog'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/a_shoe_style.wav'><span>a shoe style</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/a_young_dog.wav'><span>a young dog</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/a_phone_app.wav'><span>a phone app</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/a_brand_of_tablet.wav'><span>a brand of tablet</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=13223 data-hint-location='67563' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/it_also_is_easier_to_care_for_than_a_real_what_he_said.wav'>It also is easier to care for than a real what, he said?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='dog'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/dog.wav'><span>dog</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/cat.wav'><span>cat</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/bird.wav'><span>bird</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/child.wav'><span>child</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=13224 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/could_a_robot_dog_help_people_with_alzheimers_disease_and_other_forms_of__blank_.wav'>Could a robot dog help people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of <span class='blank'>dementia</span>?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='dementia'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/the_flu.wav'><span>the flu</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/strep_throat.wav'><span>strep throat</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/rashes.wav'><span>rashes</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/dementia.wav'><span>dementia</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3480/c4db4869-2bcd-4bce-aa60-f158e1885fc3_hq.wav
Preview
