Author: Gareth Willmer

A hospital in central Paris has had an unexpected helper: a full-sized talking humanoid robot. Created by an international team of EU-funded researchers, it can interact with patients, provide practical information and answer questions to help people navigate around the hospital.Trials of the orange-and-white robot named ARI have shown promise, according to the team at the Broca Hospital, which specialises in day care for elderly patients with conditions like Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairments.Cutting through the noiseThe challenge was to have the robot understand when it is being spoken to in a busy environment, be able to talk to different…