A Social Robot as a Meal-Time Companion for Elderly People

Proper nutrition is essential for the health and well-being of older adults, particularly those with cognitive impairments. This population is especially susceptible to”nutritional frailty,” a condition that compromises the nutritional status of elderly individuals and can lead to serious health issues such as malnutrition. Technological aids can be used to promote independent eating habits among elderly individuals, in nursing homes or at home, to address their needs during mealtimes. Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR) has emerged as a promising approach, with applications in social companionship, supporting independent living, and engaging older adults in cognitively and physically stimulating activities. In this paper, we present a prototype of a Social Robot behaving as a companion for older adults to provide assistance, explanations, stimulation, and social interaction during meals. The goal is to enhance self-care and food awareness. To this aim we endowed the robot with three modules: (i) recognition of eating and drinking activities, (ii) detection and recognition of food during meals, (iii) the use of an explainable ontology-based foodAI service for providing personalized nutrition advice and explanations.