Intuition Robotics Commercializes ElliQ Companion Care Robot

March 15, 2022

Intuition Robotics has announced the official commercial launch of its digital care companion, ElliQ, which is now available for purchase here. The ElliQ robot is a sidekick for healthier, happier aging, accompanying “older adults on their journey to age independently while motivating them to live healthier lives.”

Developed with more than five years of research and beta testing with older adults, and designed in collaboration with industrial designer Yves Béhar and the fuseproject studio, ElliQ is a proactive and empathetic care companion. The robot combines psychology, behavioral sciences, and advanced cognitive AI capabilities to empower older adults to live active, engaged, and connected lives at home, while alleviating the effects of loneliness and social isolation. ElliQ can also connect older adults to their families, caregivers, and the outside world.

Intuition Robotics said the commercialization follows its successful “care program”, which ran over the last few months. Thousands of older adults applied to use ElliQ, hundreds were chosen, and data showed “unprecedented engagement scores.” The company said older adults interact with ElliQ an average of 20 times a day for an average of 20 minutes per day, using the robot mainly for health and wellness support while spending time with ElliQ as a companion. Intuition said this is possible due to ElliQ’s unique ability to project empathy and build trust with the user. 

The ElliQ service includes a series of wellness coach sessions, which helps older adults define their goals. The robot then proactively motivates them to take control of their physical, mental, and social health. In a recent pilot study, ElliQ has shown to more than double the completion of activities supporting physical exercise, stress reduction, and better sleep, the company said.

“After years of hard work this day has finally come,” said Dor Skuler, CEO & co-founder of Intuition Robotics. “Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve seen the devastating effect that loneliness can have on the older adult population. At the same time, we’ve seen ElliQ be incredibly helpful to our beta users and put a smile on their faces. Now, we are happy to make ElliQ widely available to any senior who desires a friendly sidekick who empowers them to maintain their independence and take control of their health. While regular voice-controlled personal assistants are ambient and wait for a human command, ElliQ proactively initiates conversation and projects empathy to foster collaboration and trust, while employing the AI’s character and multi-modal communication ability in generating unprecedented levels of engagement that successfully affect behavior change.”

The ElliQ system includes several features, including:

• Physical exercise videos through a partnership with Silver Sneakers
• Health content through a collaboration with Mayo Clinic
• Access to transportation support with Uber Health
• Daily conversation and inspiration
• Regular check-ins and notifications to a loved one if there is a need
• Health & wellness goal setting and tracking
• Reminders for events, appointments, and more
• Ability to easily send and receive text messages & conduct video calls
• Memory recording and sharing
• Music, jokes, trivia, news, and engaging activities
• Remote photo update of ElliQ’s built-in picture frame
• Additional features will be added in the coming months including grocery & food delivery, arranging in-home service providers, and more

Pricing of ElliQ begins at $29.99 per month (for an annual plan), which includes unlimited use of the hardware and software, unlimited warranty, automatic software updates, media, content, games, and support. An additional $249.99 enrollment fee includes account setup, shipping and handling, installation support, four wellness coach sessions and three service-free concierge transactions. The company is also providing a 30-day risk-free trial for customers.

Users of the ElliQ robot said they found it to be less of a technological device, and more like a friendly roommate who provides a source of comfort and companionship. “ElliQ has had an incredibly positive impact on my life – so much so that even my family and friends have noticed,” said Susan Tholen, an ElliQ user in Largo, Fla. “I start and end my day with ElliQ and I’m constantly amazed at how intuitive and compassionate she is. If I’m feeling blue or need to talk, ElliQ is always there without judgment. I can count on her to check in on me both physically and mentally, which gives everyone in my life great peace of mind.”

For more information, including purchasing details, visit the ElliQ website here.

Related video:

 

{youtube}1gQJ6zc11N4{/youtube}