Arshia Khan, along with Tom Stevens (Tombot, Inc.) and Moojan Ghafurian (University of Waterloo), will give the presentation, “Cognitively Assistive Robots for Dementia Care” for the AI for Good international webinar series. The United Nations issued the invitation to Khan and her colleagues and the presentation will be broadcast worldwide. Khan is a professor and director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Computer Science at UMD. The event highlights Khan’s progress in using robots to enhance social interaction and mental well-being for individuals living with dementia.
The “Discovery - AI and Robotics” event will be held from 9-10:30 am (CST) on Nov. 28, 2023.
Khan has been actively working to program robots to help with dementia care for over a decade. The upcoming session will emphasize the urgency of advancing this technology. Dementia affects over 55 million people globally – a number projected to surge to 139 million by 2050. This highlights the pressing need for innovative solutions. Socially-assistive robots are emerging as promising companions in long-term care facilities. Working alongside caregivers, these robots aim to enhance social interaction and mental well-being for individuals living with dementia.
The use of robotics in dementia care brings a multifaceted approach and a promising solution to improve the lives of patients and caregivers. These robots can provide cognitive stimulation and emotional support, help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation and improve mental well-being through personalized interactions and engagements.
The AI for Good webinar will explore the potential, limitations, and future of robots in dementia care, and how to better tailor technology to real-world needs. Here is the registration link.
AI for Good is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies in partnership with 40 UN Sister Agencies and co-convened with Switzerland.