MyCompanion: A Digital Social Companion for Assisted Living

Fernando Loizides, Kathryn E. Jones, Daniel Abbasi, Christopher Cardwell, Ieuan Jones, Liam D. Turner, Athanasios Hassoulas, Ashley Bale, Scott Morgan

Abstract: In this work, we present the initial progressive build of a prototype system, dubbed MyCompanion. MyCompanion to improve assisted living, ultimately targeting alleviating social exclusion and loneliness. The system, based on a Raspberry Pi, connects to a user’s television set and tracks data from sensors placed around the house. An inbuilt artificial intelligence chat-bot then listens to, as well as instantiates, conversation with the user based on self-imposed triggers. Data from the sensors inform MyCompanion in real time user behaviour and records these readings. We also port MyCompanion software to an anthropomorphic version inside a humanoid robot for us to be able to give a physical dimension to the digital character.