Robotic care assistants

RCAs are AI-enabled robots that are trained using vast amounts of data to automate interactions with the physical world. They have the capacity to collect and process data about their immediate surroundings, and can respond in real time. 

RCAs are trained on data from a variety of sources in the physical world, including machines, humans and sensors. They can then complete tasks that are conventionally done by humans, such as helping with dressing, brushing hair, assisting with mobility and exercise, or lifting from a bed into a wheelchair. 

RCAs are mostly used in hospitals and care homes to assist older people or those with physical injuries or disabilities. However, as many people look after family members at home, RCAs are also used in domestic settings. 

Some RCAs are designed to provide emotional support and companionship to reduce feelings of loneliness.

These technologies are designed to be used as a support for human carers; they cannot fully substitute human care. 

RCAs could improve the quality of life of those receiving care by making them feel more independent.

Research has also shown that, in cases of use of RCAs for emotional support, some people have found it easier to confide in a robot than a human being.

RCAs can save healthcare professionals’ and caregivers’ time and physical effort, and can help reduce some of their workload and stress, without replacing them entirely.

Developments in the field of RCAs are still limited and not yet sophisticated enough to significantly alleviate the workload of healthcare staff. In fact, it has been reported that RCAs might create more work for care workers, as they require maintenance and monitoring.