67The Impact of a Companion Robot in Combatting Loneliness in People with Dementia Living in Residential Care. The MARIO Project

Abstract

Background: MARIO, a European Horizon 2020 funded project, developed a companion robot for people with dementia to enhance their social connectedness and engagement and thereby reduce their loneliness and isolation. An iterative process was employed and people with dementia were involved at each phase of development of the robot and helped to guide the appearance of MARIO and the creation of a number of different apps including- My Music, My Games, My Memories. Participants with dementia could interact with MARIO to access these apps via touchscreen and or voice commands. This paper presents the finding from the Irish pilot.