A humanoid robot to test the theories of the human mind and assist dementia patients: this is the goal of the project launched by the Italian deep-tech start-up Emotiva created in collaboration with the "Enrico Piaggio" Research Center of the University of Pisa using the innovative Abel robot capable of empathically interacting with patients suffering from neurological disorders.
To allow Abel to interact is a complex mix of hardware, in particular 42 new generation servomotors that guide the movement of the head, arms and every smallest detail of the face, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) software that allows to recognize the expressions of the interlocutor and dialogue.
A sort of human 'mirror' on which to test the theories of mind and behavior as well as induce and understand our emotions thanks also to the new AI algorithm, Emotion developed by Emotiva, which has reached very high levels of accuracy in recognizing human emotions, 60% higher than the reference levels used in the world of robotics.
Services for which the Abel project aims to go beyond the recognition of emotions and contribute to the study of dementia: "Using his ability to learn and show empathy - said Lorenzo Cominelli, researcher at the Piaggio Center - Abel will be an effective tool to contribute to improve assistance to dementia patients, closing communication gaps and providing another form of support to caregivers and family members ”.
