Alzheimer’s, and dementia as a whole, is becoming a more-discussed topic as the American population ages. The National Institute of Health estimates that 13.9 percent of Americans over age 71 have it. Dementia is defined by a cognitive decline as someone’s neurons begin to stop working and communicating with other neurons. Identifying symptoms include forgetfulness, personality changes, loss of learned skills, and an inability to access memories. 

As well as physically affecting the person with the illness, dementia often puts a heavy emotional strain on a person struggling and their loved ones. Many people with dementia have trouble understanding what is happening to them in the early stages, and they believe themselves to be lazy or forgetful. Erratic mood swings can be difficult for both the caregiver and the sufferer. Losing skills is also distressing, and many adults do not want to have to rely on someone to take care of them and do what they can no longer do.

 Many scientists are currently absorbed in work trying to cure those with dementia, and more still are involved with managing the symptoms of people with dementia and keeping them happy and comfortable. Most are in agreement that exercising your brain in different ways can help prevent the disorder from getting worse. Palliative care workers and families currently use this method on a smaller scale by having the people they are caring for do simple tasks that are well-within their abilities such as folding towels. People with dementia need to work with more than just their hands to feel happy and fulfilled, however. They need to feel spiritually and emotionally connected as well. That’s where Selma Šabanović’s newest robot design comes in.

Dubbed as “QT”, the robot has a chubby body and cute face. It does more than remind people to take their medication: it engages with them and remembers them. QT plays storytelling games and comes across like it is curious about what people have to say. It sings and makes conversation. The robot comes off as a mix of a child and a pet to many; its cute face and small stature aid that interpretation. People with dementia tend to have mixed reactions to it. Few people reject or accept the robot. On a test run, one woman engaged with it happily and easily, having patience with QT accidentally interrupting her and engaging in its storytelling. Another man had a tougher time engaging with it. He seems to view it as a stupid thing, to be talking to a robot, and yet he still finds himself laughing with it.

Some of Šabanović’s biggest successes come from her and her team’s willingness to learn from those with dementia. They work with the Dementia Action Alliance which is full of people who not only have family or friends with dementia, but have it themselves. Instead of assuming that people with dementia will love the robots or feel patronized by them, the team asks people with dementia how they think and feel. Listening to those with dementia is the key to helping them.