A.I. Robots Befriend the Elderly

Ours is an aging society, and so the number of old people who live alone is growing.

Due to their circumstances, many of these senior citizens struggle with loneliness and depression.

To tackle this problem, the local company Studio Cross Culture developed A.I. robots.

Named Hyodol and Hyosun, the robots look like small dolls and speak in child-like voices.

Hyodol and Hyosun interact with the elderly in many ways.

They provide practical information such as the weather forecast and keep track of daily schedules.

For instance, they notify their owners when it is time to wake up, eat meals, and take pills.

Moreover, they can carry on simple conversations to pass the time.

The robots even monitor the senior citizens' daily activities.

If a problem is detected, they can send out an emergency message to the registered guardian of their owner.

Some local governments have begun distributing Hyodol and Hyosun to elderly people who live alone.

They say the robots can help take care of the senior citizens and keep them from feeling lonely.

 

• elderly |eldərli 연세가 드신(old보다 정중한 표현) ,어르신들  befriend bɪˈfrend  (특히 도움이 필요한 사람에게) 친구가 되어 주다

• loneliness lóunlinis 고독, 외로움  depression dɪˈpreʃn 우울증  tackle ˈtækl (힘든 문제상황과) 씨름하다 / 태클  tackle a problem 문제를 다루다

• interact ˌɪntərˈækt 소통하다  practical ˈpræktɪkl 현실[실질/실제]적인 (→theoretical) 타당한, 현실성 있는, 실현 가능한 (↔impractical), (=workable)

• keep track of  …을 기록하다 , …을 놓치지 않도록 하다, 끊임없이 …의 정보를 얻어내다  notify |noʊtɪfaɪ (공식적으로) 알리다[통고/통지하다] (=inform)

• carry on  계속 가다[움직이다]  detect dɪˈtekt 발견하다[알아내다/감지하다]  detective dɪˈtektɪv 형사, 수사관 (→store detective) , 탐정

• distribute dɪˈstrɪbjuːt  나누어 주다, 분배[배부]하다