Care robots are increasingly being used in long-term care, and the Netherlands is no exception. Well-known examples of care robots in our country include Maatje, Tinybots Tessa and SARA Robotics. But the world of healthcare robotics offers many more possibilities, both nationally and internationally. One of these notable robots that has caught our attention is the Hyodol robot, which has been available in South Korea since 2019. To investigate whether Hyodol can achieve similar promising results for vulnerable elderly people in the Netherlands, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Vilans and Smart Robot Solutions have started a 90-day exploration.

The Hyodol robot is a social robot specially developed for older people in South Korea who suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Thanks to the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and various sensors, Hyodol can recognize emotions and convert speech into text. In addition, the robot can measure user interactions and activities and present them in a handy dashboard.

Research into the value for vulnerable elderly people

The main goal of the 90-day study is to see in a short time how easily the Hyodol robot can be set up and whether it can be adapted to specific needs and wishes. In addition, the Hyodol is compared with at least one other care robot that is already used in the Netherlands.

First findings in December

The results of the 90-day exploration will be summarized in a fact sheet in December. This fact sheet will contain information about the robot's features, how it can be customized, who the potential users are and what benefits Hyodol's sensors and features can provide. More follow-up studies may follow.

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