Robot dogs become “man’s best friend” of individuals with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Tom Stevens, an entrepreneur, submitted a test adaptation of the robotic Labrador puppy to the residents of a nursing home in Thousand Oaks, California. Stevens company made a partnership with another company founded by the late muppets creator to make the robot performs lifelike movements. Stevens thinks that the robot dog, who moves its head from side to side, grunts and wags its tail, is lifelong enough to aid people with dementia. “It didn’t just have to look real and feel real but it had to behave realistically as well,” Stevens said.

The robot dog has 16 motors that control its action and is packed with sensors to respond to spoken instructions. Also, it can determine human touches such as the contrast between soft and hard caress. Stevens said that he developed the robot idea after his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011. Stevens had experience in robotics and he wished that the technology would give togetherness to people like his mother. Steven’s company proposes to sell its first robot dogs in 2020.