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The robots are moving to the retirement home. Not because they need care. Not even because they want to take over as in science fiction. No, they should be entertaining the residents and relieving the nursing staff.
121 centimeters high, 28 kilos of light, big eyes and a sensation: "Pepper". As the machine modeled on humans, you could almost keep them alive: Pepper flashes with his digital eyes, repeatedly moves his head, arms and upper body, almost as if he needs oxygen. and not electricity. But Pepper is a robot. On Monday, Caritas in the Archdiocese of Cologne, Siegen University and the University of Applied Sciences Kiel nursing student students trained on the robot Pepper. Caritas and the universities are studying together the theme of robots in geriatric care during the 2018 science year.
Society is aging, according to Caritas, but nurses are missing. Robots could be a possible solution. The humanoid robot has been on the market in Japan since 2015. It is used in retirement homes, but also at home with private families. In Germany, the little robot could be found in homes and hospitals in the future. There he should support the nursing staff.
However, according to Heidemarie Kelleter from the field of health, care of the elderly and disabled people at the Caritas association, the robot should not replace a human being. "I do not want nurses to be rationalized, it does not work," she says, although Pepper has his hands, but can not replace human contacts.
Also, Caritas led the meeting with students In this way, they could experience that the robot can facilitate their professional life and support them, says Kelleter.On the other hand, it can not replace it.Pepper can see, hear and recognize The robot also learns to recognize the gestures and facial expressions of its counterpart – and responds accordingly.There is also the possibility of storing data, for example, the history of residents or when they have to take their
In a Caritas retirement home in the Siegener area, which already has a Pepper robot, most of these features are disabled, explains Kelleter. Residents. "You need to know where the boundaries are." Rainer Wieching, who programs the robot at Siegen University, says Pepper is currently easy to hack. But the manufacturer is working on more security. Wieching Pepper programs according to the needs of a retirement home. For that it has long been in exchange with Caritas.
As long as there are confidentiality issues, Caritas uses the robot mainly for the entertainment of retirement homes. He can do memory exercises and tai chi with the elderly, read them in the Bible or play songs that they have known since their childhood. "When will it still be summer?", Pretended Pepper. This is a good method of use especially for people with dementia.
Elderly people did not know the fear of contact, reports Kelleter. After all, Pepper was purposely designed so cute; so there are fewer inhibitions. And the robot looks harmless despite the many technologies that it contains. If you caress his head, he laughs and says, "I'm so ticklish!"
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