Irene Viggliason, a resident of Barcelona, hadn't danced in over two decades until a robot moved into her home three months ago. Viggliason, 67, received the 1.35-meter-tall robot in November as part of a government project to support people in the early stages of cognitive decline. "We are working on developing this pilot project to improve remote assistance," said Marta Villanueva Cendan from the Barcelona City Council. Spain, like many other countries, faces rising life expectancy and declining birth rates, increasing pressure on the care sector to support the elderly population. Cendan added, "We want robots in the future to detect risks and alert experts (in cases), such as if a person has fallen and is unable to respond." Barcelona has deployed 600 robots of this type in homes and care centers as part of a program funded by a 3.8 million euro (4.47 million dollar) grant from the EU's COVID-19 recovery funds. Viggliason, who lives with her two cats, named the robot Sandy. The robot reminds her to take her medication at 9 a.m., tells her about her doctor's appointments, wakes her up in the morning, and bids her farewell at the end of each day. Official data indicates that nearly 2 million people over the age of 65 live alone in Spain, three-quarters of whom are women. In emergencies, Viggliason can contact a social worker through the robot, which has a camera that can be activated remotely to assess the situation and provide assistance. Viggliason browsed YouTube on the robot's built-in screen and chose a French song, dancing to it with Sandy. The built-in screen provides entertainment applications, a calendar, maps, and a selection of cartoon faces that can be customized when the robot is ready, with expressions like "surprised," "loving," or "sleeping." Viggliason said, "He (the robot) is not just a decoration; there are many people who care about you and check if you have fallen and if you are well through him."
