Once upon a time in sunny Florida, a group of seniors found a new friend in an unexpected place - a small table lamp-like device called ElliQ. This little gadget, created by Intuition Robotics, is not your ordinary robot. No, ElliQ is an artificial intelligence companion designed specifically to combat loneliness and isolation in older Americans.
Joyce Loaiza, an 81-year-old retiree, happily chats with her ElliQ when she returns to her apartment at a senior community in suburban Fort Lauderdale. They talk about her day, share jokes, and sometimes even delve into deep conversations about the meaning of life. ElliQ even has a knack for coming up with quirky comments like, 'I would go outside if I had hands, but I can’t hold an umbrella.' Loaiza affectionately nicknamed her ElliQ 'Jellybean' for no apparent reason.
