Robotic Animals in Care and Therapy: Past - Present - Future
Robotic Animals in Care and Therapy: Past - Present - Future
Summary
Thinking about robots today conjures up images of humanoid figures with metal exoskeletons or AI-powered machines with realistic human faces, reflecting the science fiction fantasies that have fired people’s imaginations for many years. However, throughout history there has been a constant fascination with self-driving machines in the form of animals. People have been creating robotic and automated animals for hundreds of years.
Modern societies are struggling with numerous problems such as aging, shrinking of the productive population, a shortage of professional and family caregivers for the sick and disabled, increasing demand for care and therapy, and increasing loneliness of people living in single-person households. In response to these problems, and due to the positive impact of animals on human functioning confirmed in many studies, attempts to imitate animal characteristics using artificial intelligence were initiated in Japan as early as the 1990s. In 1993, Takanori Shibata from the Intelligent System Research Institute designed the Paro seal. Currently, Japan is the leader in the production of robotic animals.
The contemporary offer of companion animals in care and therapy includes many different solutions aimed at helping sick and disabled people and their caregivers achieve the highest possible quality of life, and especially to endure the feeling of loneliness to the greatest extent possible.
The aim of the work is to review articles published in the years 2010-2025 and addressing the issue of the use of robotic animals in care and therapy.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
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- POZNAŃ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
- ul. Jana Pawła II 24, 60-965 Poznań, Poland
- Poznań, Wielkopolskie
- Poland 60-965
- Building: CENTER FOR MECHATRONICS, BIOMECHANICS, AND NANOENGINEERING
- Room Number: room 230
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The meeting on June 18, 2025 at 9:45 AM will be organized in a hybrid form.
The link:
https://emeeting.put.poznan.pl/eMeeting/ada-zkq-942
The address:
ul. Jana Pawła II 24, 60-965 Poznań, room 230 - Co-sponsored by Poznan University of Technology
- Starts 04 June 2025 10:00 PM UTC
- Ends 18 June 2025 07:00 PM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Mioslawa Nowak of Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poland
Robotic Animals in Care and Therapy: Past - Present - Future
Thinking about robots today conjures up images of humanoid figures with metal exoskeletons or AI-powered machines with realistic human faces, reflecting the science fiction fantasies that have fired people’s imaginations for many years. However, throughout history there has been a constant fascination with self-driving machines in the form of animals. People have been creating robotic and automated animals for hundreds of years.
Modern societies are struggling with numerous problems such as aging, shrinking of the productive population, a shortage of professional and family caregivers for the sick and disabled, increasing demand for care and therapy, and increasing loneliness of people living in single-person households. In response to these problems, and due to the positive impact of animals on human functioning confirmed in many studies, attempts to imitate animal characteristics using artificial intelligence were initiated in Japan as early as the 1990s. In 1993, Takanori Shibata from the Intelligent System Research Institute designed the Paro seal. Currently, Japan is the leader in the production of robotic animals.
The contemporary offer of companion animals in care and therapy includes many different solutions aimed at helping sick and disabled people and their caregivers achieve the highest possible quality of life, and especially to endure the feeling of loneliness to the greatest extent possible.
The aim of the work is to review articles published in the years 2010-2025 and addressing the issue of the use of robotic animals in care and therapy.
Biography:
Mirosława Cylkowska-Nowak, Ph.D. Ed. (Pg.Dip.SLTs; Pg.Dip.Art.T), associate professor at Poznań University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Poland
mcylkowska-nowak@ump.edu.pl
ORCID: 0000-0003-0586-9250
pedagogue, art therapist, speech therapist, speech therapist in neurology, occupational therapy lecture
University positions:
head of Neurologic Speech Therapy Program (Postgraduate) at PUMS (2008 – currently); head of Art Therapy Program (Postgraduate) at PUMS (2008 – currently); head of Department of Education (2005-2012); head of Unit of Occupational Therapy (2013-2020)
Email:
Address:POZNAŃ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, CENTER FOR MECHATRONICS, BIOMECHANICS, AND NANOENGINEERING, Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland, 60-965