Meet Hyodol, an AI social robot to help senior citizens beat loneliness

While the Hyodol dolls look like cuddly soft toys, their ability to recognise emotions, talk, and play music can offer some form of engagement to seniors.

Hyodol is an AI care robot that offers customised care for seniors. (Photo: Hyodol)

South Korean company Hyodol has come up with a way to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to beat loneliness among elders with dementia — it has invented a ‘social robot’ priced at $1,800 (about Rs 1.5 lakh).

The South Korean government is reported to have deployed around 7,000 Hyodol dolls to keep senior citizens ‘company’ and remind them to take medications. Loneliness among senior citizens is a growing social issue in South Korea.

What can the Hyodol dolls do?

While the dolls look like cuddly soft toys, their advanced language processing and ability to recognise emotions, talk, and play music can offer some form of engagement to seniors.

According to the company, the robot named Hyodol is an AI care robot that offers customised care for seniors. The robot does this by relying on data collected by living and having conversations with them. “Hyodol helps digitally disadvantaged individuals to live happier and healthier lives through the convenience of digital technology,” reads the official website. The company works with an Emotional AI system which it claims provides emotional care that feels familiar and realistic to users.

The doll can hold full conversations and it comes with a companion app and web monitoring platform for caretakers to monitor remotely. Besides, it comes with safety features that can raise an alert when no movement has been detected for a certain period of time. Essentially, the doll is always watching the user.

It also comes with touch interaction, check-ins, a health coach, voice messages, 24-hour voice reminders, music, quizzes, exercise suggestions, and more. Moreover, caregivers with access to the app will be able to send and receive voice messages, make group announcements, and monitor motion detection.

The robot also continuously monitors the health condition of its users through health Q&A two times a day.

What about the data it collects?

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The company said the Hyodol robot collects verbal/nonverbal data for 24 hours from the users through AI. While the company has stated that it prioritises user privacy and safety and strictly observes data protection, it has not mentioned how it does this. This is a potential area of concern, as the data collected by these dolls could lead to security vulnerabilities.

What is the underlying technology of Hyodol?

The AI robot can hold conversations owing to the large language model that has been integrated into it.

The robots provide convenient and easily managed intelligent services for users and are easy to develop and debug. Besides, the AI robot can be linked to smart home devices and comes with an interface for easy interactions for all users.

Hyodol is not alone, in the past two years, there have been several robots with similar use cases. In October 2023, indianexpress.com reported about the social robot Nao developed by Kazakh company April. Nao has been developed to assist in autism therapy.

Bijin Jose

Bijin Jose serves as an Assistant Editor at Indian Express Online in New Delhi. A seasoned technology journalist with a diverse portfolio, he brings over a decade of experience in the media industry to his coverage of the evolving digital landscape and emerging technologies. Experience & Career Bijin commenced his journalistic journey in 2013 as a citizen journalist with The Times of India. His career trajectory includes significant tenures at prestigious media organizations including India Today Digital and The Economic Times. This diverse professional background, ranging from legacy print institutions to dynamic digital platforms, culminated in his current leadership role at The Indian Express, where he helps shape the publication's technology narrative. Expertise & Focus Areas Bijin has transitioned from general reporting to a specialized focus on the intersection of technology and humanity. His key areas of expertise include: Artificial Intelligence: deeply tracking developments in AI, providing nuanced perspectives on its ethical,industrial, and societal implications. Tech Commentary: moving beyond product specifications to analyze how technology reshapes daily life. Diverse Reporting Foundation: draws upon a robust background in crime reporting and cultural features to bring a human-centric approach to technical storytelling. Authoritativeness & Trust Bijin’s editorial voice is informed by a strong academic foundation, holding a Bachelor of Arts in English from Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara, and a Master of Arts in English Literature. This literary background enables him to deconstruct complex technical jargon into accessible, compelling narratives. His steady progression through India’s top newsrooms underscores his reputation for editorial rigor and reliable journalism. Find all stories by Bijin Jose here ... Read More