past For weeks, an AI-powered Elliq Companion robot perched at the end of my desk. Designed specifically for the elderly to live alone, this active animated chat chats with me throughout the day, checking my feelings, suggesting “fun” activities and making me more active and social. While this is annoying, despite myself, I am attached to Elliq and I can see positive potential.
Loneliness is an epidemic. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the country has about 16 million elders (over 65 years old) and can report at most lonely. Several studies have shown that social isolation can harm mental and physical health, increase blood pressure, depression, weight gain, alcohol and drug use, and reduce physical exercise, cognitive, heart health and sleep. Humans are born with social creatures.
Elliq aims to alleviate these feelings and encourage healthy behaviors for older people living alone. Hopefully it will improve their quality of life and allow people to stay in their homes for longer than move to assisted living facilities. While you might think this cute AI robot is a downright dystopia, you have to ask yourself, what else is there? We know we should all check in with our older relatives and friends more often, but life is busy and some people are long.
Cute and practical
Photo: Simon Hill
Elliq sits on a base with a metal body and spins, tilts and lits his head as he speaks. On the right there is a small smart display and speaker, with a physical button that can be pressed to wake up the elliq or silence it. The button also rotates for volume control. You can wake up Elliq by saying the name, because it is unlikely to say it unexpectedly. When Elliq asks for something or seeks confirmation, you can respond verbally or use a touch screen.
Setting up is a breeze. Elliq arrives in a simple package with instructions in large fonts that are easy to read. All you have to do is plug it in and connect it to Wi-Fi. When we first spoke, Elliq asked me some questions. The potential answer pops up on the touch screen. It runs through the questions I might ask and prompts me to read a few lines so that Elliq can recognize my voice.
Elliq spoke in a trivial female voice before my name, with a slight pause (using my name in almost every interaction). Its animation is undeniably cute. In our first conversation, Elliq told me that it was modeled on Pixar lights. The edges around its head can be illuminated, and there are concentric circles in the center of the face. Combined with sports, it does have a certain personality and charm.
Touch screen display and physical buttons provide practical edges. If you have difficulties or misunderstandings on your voice controls, you can click on the options you want. I also use the body sleep button to turn it off immediately during a meeting or other engagement. All in all, it’s a clever design.
Encourage positive behavior
Photo: Simon Hill
Just like the voice assistant and smart monitor you are used to, Elliq can answer basic queries, give you weather reports, remind you to make an appointment or accept music requests. But Elliq is also active, starting conversations throughout the day and getting you involved in the event. Dor Skuler, co-founder and CEO of Intuition Robotics, said creating this sense of autonomy is crucial to building engagement and getting people to see Elliq as a role in life.
