How robots can improve care for people in aged care will be the focus this week at Griffith University’s Robotic Symposium.
To be held at the Nathan campus on Wednesday 26 March, the free Symposium is inviting the public as well as health care professionals, students and researchers to get up close and personal with a whole host of robots currently being trialled in aged care facilities in Australia and overseas.
Leading the event will be Professor Wendy Moyle from Griffith Health Institute’s Centre for Health Practice Innovation, and who has been widely publicised for her successful research into how robots can help people with dementia.
Professor Moyle will be discussing her work with telepresence robots that facilitate conversation between the person with dementia and their family, as well as her robot seal ‘Paro’ and a new prototype teddy bear that has received some incredible results with people in reducing symptoms of agitation.
“This is a very timely event that is going to look in detail at the issues surrounding technology within aged care,” says Professor Moyle. “The government is keenly advocating for increased technology within the sector, but aged care facilities are concerned about how they can get involved or how they will make the preparations to make this a reality.
Issues of tech support and broadband
“Issues concerning technology support and the required increases in broadband coverage are important issues and we will be discussing these, alongside the question of privacy and how this affects aged care facilities when implementing technologies.”
Speakers at the Symposium will also include CEO of Giraff Technology, Sweden, Stephen von Rump who will take about the aged care experience in Europe, and Professor Vladimir Estivill-Castro from Griffith’s Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems.
Professor Estivill-Castro will discuss the future of robotic technology in aged care regarding people with disabilities such as blindness. He will also talk about how we’re potentially only ten or so years away from seeing robots on legs, as opposed to wheels, within aged care facilities.
Alongside a great opportunity for attendees to touch, play with and ask questions about the robots, the Symposium will feature a talk by Griffith’s Professor Michael Blumenstein on the ‘Application of 3D virtual worlds in healthcare’.
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WHEN: 26 March 8.30am-12.30pm.
WHERE: Sir Samuel Griffith Building, N78, Room 1.19, Nathan Campus, Griffith University. RSVP: By 20 March. Register your name and contact details to attend to[email protected], 07 3735 7236.
For more information visit: http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/586071/HPI_robotic-symposium-final.pdf