Temi the Robot Working at Senior Living Facilities

Senior living facilities have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Along with the high rate of infections, residents have faced isolation and cancellations of most group events. One facility owner in the New York metro area is turning to robots to help keep seniors company and supplement staff.

Meet Temi. This personal assistant robot is the newest employee of Maplewood Senior Living. They are owners of 14 assisted-living facilities in the tri-state area. While they did have plans to introduce the use of robots in their facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic sped up deployment.

“We decided to fast-forward and deploy them to all of the suburban properties,” Eleonora Tornatore-Mikesh of Maplewood Senior living says. “And the residents, I wish I could capture the faces when Temi sort-of joined our staff.”

Temi Robot Can Connect Seniors

Temi can help connect residents to friends and family by setting up video chats thanks to onboard screen, mic and speakers. Other features include playing games and delivering packages. Facial recognition allows Temi to remember residents he has interacted with, even greeting them by name.

The robot also connects to Amazon Alexa which allows it to do things like control smart devices, check the weather and play music. Temi is customizable and developer friendly meaning new features can be added in the future.

The robot stands a little over 3 feet tall and weighs about 25 pounds. Onboard sensors, 360 degrees LIDAR, and cameras allow the robot to navigate and avoid anything or anyone that may get in its way.

Temi can last 8 hours on a single battery and will autonomously return to its docking station when it needs to recharge. According to the website, the robot costs $4000 and can be delivered within 5-7 days.

Check out our articles on robots feeling pain and a barista robot working at a Korean cafe.