A ROBOTIC dog could be a good companion for your dog-loving grandparent who is not able to care for a living pet, suggests a press release from Saint Louis University, Missouri.
Researchers there compared how residents of three nursing homes interacted with Sparky, a living, medium-sized mutt, and AIBO, the robotic dog made by Sony. The team brought Sparky or AIBO into residents’ rooms and put them near the occupant. Both pets interacted with the residents – wagging their tails and responding to the people they visited.
“The most surprising thing is they worked almost equally well in terms of alleviating loneliness and causing residents…
