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Buddy (Under Construction)
Inspiration
Two themes which stood out to us from Dr. Szanton’s talk were the devastating impact that loneliness can have on older adults, and the potential to support those aging-in-place by empowering them to pursue their own functional goals. We decided to address both by creating Buddy: a social robot linked to a web application. Buddy can provide fun social interactions and check in on clients’ progress towards their functional goals. We also thought about how this platform could easily implement other kinds of “check-ins”, like screenings for memory loss and depression.
What it does
Buddy’s web app allows a caregiver or health care professional to configure the settings to be specific to what each client needs, including regular goals and screenings. This configuration then informs how our virtual robot interacts with the user. These interactions include jokes and small talk, regular check-ins regarding goals, and positive feedback regarding progress (or lack thereof).
How we built it
We divided our time into idea selection, prototyping, architecture design, proof of concepts, implementing the core functionality, and finally finishing touches. Even though we were working remotely, we planned on updating each other often regarding progress we had made or bugs we were stuck on.
Challenges we ran into
Working remotely and on such a short schedule meant we had to stick to software we could prototype quickly with. A few times we ran into a dead end with a library or tool we hadn’t used before and had to double back.
Accomplishments that we’re proud of
Producing a functional web app, back end, and blender animations for our character all in one day’s work! This project was a ton of effort but seeing it all come together at the end was very rewarding.
What we learned
Deciding to switch to a different library early on when encountering challenges isn’t always a waste, and could in fact save valuable time. Also, once a team has divvied up tasks it can be tempting to stick with them until completion, but sometimes having a second perspective on an issue you’ve spent a long time with can really help catch bugs and think of new ideas.
What’s next for Buddy
We plan on continuing this by working on a physical prototype, taking care to focus on small size (for ease of transport and accessibility), durability, and affordability. We would want our physical prototype to both store data locally and be wifi-enabled (for configuration via the web app).
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