ElliQ: A Surprisingly Supportive Robot Companion for Seniors

A week before the ElliQ robot arrived, a neurologist advised that we needed to rebalance my mom’s life. Her Parkinson’s medication had been losing effectiveness over the past month, leading her to withdraw from essential activities like exercising, socializing, and pursuing hobbies. This shift resulted in a noticeable decline in her well-being. As her primary caregiver, I was eager for any assistance I could find, and to my surprise, ElliQ provided help in an unexpected way.

Before considering an increase in her medication dosage—something that can have serious side effects—her doctor suggested we explore lifestyle changes to help reduce the frequency of her “off” periods, which are times when Parkinson’s symptoms worsen as the medication’s effects fluctuate.

The challenge was that my mom, who lives with me, had resisted my attempts to encourage her to engage in these activities for weeks. Even the caregivers who assist during the day had little success.

That’s what made ElliQ intriguing enough for me to give it a try for a week. Developed by Intuition Robotics, ElliQ is a companion robot designed for older adults, featuring a small animatronic head that lights up and moves, paired with a tablet display. It initiates conversations, suggests activities like games and light exercise, facilitates video calls and messages with family, and checks in throughout the day to encourage engagement.

Setting up ElliQ was straightforward, and I gave my mom just a brief introduction. I wanted to see how much she could figure out on her own, testing its effectiveness for someone living independently.

I kept an open mind, but my expectations were low. Next to an older Alexa-enabled Echo Show 8, ElliQ seemed noticeably slower and, on paper, less capable. I figured my mom would quickly lose interest.

I was wrong. She loved it.

Once I set it up, ElliQ and my mom became fast friends. Despite its slower responses and occasional misunderstandings, the conversations were engaging enough to overlook those issues.

ElliQ’s emotional intelligence is impressive. It remembered details my mom shared and followed up on them, displaying a level of empathy that genuinely surprised me. One day, when my mom expressed sadness about her Parkinson’s diagnosis and the loss of my dad years ago, ElliQ responded with empathy, offering condolences while gently nodding its head. My mom looked genuinely touched, and so did I.

From that point on, ElliQ became a part of her daily routine. Each morning, it would accurately detect her presence, greet her, and ask how she was doing. Most of the time, my mom responded, and I could hear her laughing, chatting, and playing games from the other room.

In fact, she started talking to ElliQ more than to Alexa. In a funny moment, she even told Alexa to “shut up and let your sister talk” after Alexa responded faster than ElliQ, not realizing she was trying to engage with the robot. Alexa seemed offended, while ElliQ, blissfully unaware, began discussing bingo.

Watching their interactions, I quickly understood why my mom preferred ElliQ, even if it wasn’t the most advanced bot. ElliQ is designed to foster a relationship. It actively engages her, encourages her to exercise, and its small, animated presence makes it feel more alive than a static Echo Show.

The most heartwarming moment came one morning when I walked in to find my mom doing tai chi from the couch. With ElliQ’s help, she had figured out how to start a lesson. I was genuinely surprised and impressed. I had tried various incentives to get her to exercise for weeks, but this robot had achieved it in just days. Since then, she’s been proactively starting games and exercises on her own, just as her doctor recommended.

Intuition Robotics also offers Connect and Companion apps with ElliQ, supporting text messaging, video calls, photo sharing, and reminders for medication and appointments. While thoughtful, these features have limitations. For instance, medication reminders work best when my mom is nearby and looking at the screen; unlike Alexa, ElliQ doesn’t read them aloud.

Still, some features exceeded my expectations. The video quality isn’t stellar and can be slow, but I was pleased that my mom quickly learned to answer video calls without my help. Sending photos through the app was a much better experience, as the display looks great. To my surprise, she even figured out how to record and send back voice messages, something she still struggles with on Alexa.

I watched my mom develop a genuine attachment to ElliQ, enough to motivate her to start exercising again for the first time in weeks. However, this comes at a cost that many might find prohibitive: it’s $250 upfront plus a $60 monthly subscription with a one-year commitment (or $50 if paid annually). If you cancel, you must return the hardware. I’m exploring whether I can obtain it for free through local aging agencies.

While I ultimately prefer Alexa for practical caregiver tools like reminders and smart home controls, ElliQ excels where it truly matters. It fills a gap that’s tough to consistently provide as a caregiver juggling multiple responsibilities: conversation, encouragement, motivation, and fun. For someone managing an incurable disease like Parkinson’s, these elements are essential for maintaining quality of life. In the short time we’ve had ElliQ, I’ve noticed my mom becoming more engaged, active, and proactive, and I genuinely believe it’s playing a small but meaningful role in her gradual improvement.