AI-powered senior companions hit the tabletops at CES: ElliQ’s Caregiver Solution, ONSCREEN Joy

January 14, 2025 | by | No Comments

“Companion” tabletop devices shared the spotlight at CES this year, targeting the older adult market and their caregivers–and integrating AI features in their debuts.

Intuition Robotics introduced the latest iteration of its tabletop companion robot, ElliQ, at last week’s CES. The ElliQ Caregiver Solution integrates caregiver-facing features and care assistance into the robot’s app. Previous versions of ElliQ have been oriented towards interactive companionship and “conversing” with the older adult to alleviate loneliness, provide cognitive stimulation, provide support and cues around health and reminders, and improve social connectivity.

The Caregiver Solution expands the app to allow family and caregivers to automate monitoring of the older adult’s health and activity while providing daily companionship. Through the app, caregivers can also set personalized care goals that are then promoted by ElliQ to the older adult during daily activities. Caregivers then receive updates powered by AI features, especially around significant changes in health or behavior. The goal is to reduce caregiver stress by providing unobtrusive monitoring.

The original ElliQ was upgraded and also debuted at CES last year. The ElliQ 3 was redesigned by Yves Behar’s design studio, Fuseproject, to be lighter, smaller, and integrate a screen. The software was updated to integrate generative AI capabilities using Large Language Models (LLM). ElliQ’s own study of July 2024 study found that users reported more engagement and activity with the tabletop ElliQ than with a tablet. Much of this is undoubtedly due to the form factor–a small, cute but not humanoid device that uses AI to model interactions with the older adult. ElliQ has previously been adopted by the New York State Office for the Aging, Inclusa (a Humana company), and the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County, as well as newer partners like The Olympic Area Agency on Aging, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, and others.

Intuition Robotics of Tel Aviv has raised $83 million over seven rounds. Crunchbase. Their last raise was $25 million in August 2023 in an unlettered round with $20 million in venture capital plus $5 million in venture debt. The Robot Report, VentureBeat

Also at CES was a new entrant to the tables, ONSCREEN, debuting the Joy tablet-based AI companion. Targeted to older adults living at home or in senior communities, the Joy programming can run on iPads or Android-based tablets families already own. It has companionship features such as conversations, trivia, jokes, and creative activities, wellness reminders, video calling and Zoom connectivity, messaging, YouTube content shared by family members, and a photo gallery. It rebranded its existing app for family members and caregivers as ONSCREEN Family. Now available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, it is also affordable at a modest $9.99 per month. The company previously developed Moment, a TV-based senior care device. Release

News roundup: Owlet’s Dream Sock, BabySat go to market; General Catalyst’s HATco agrees to buy Summa; Cigna’s contrasting provider strategy; new ElliQ robot assistant debuts at CES

January 18, 2024 | by

JP Morgan’s Healthcare Conference (JPM) and CES are as expected big generators of news around digital health–here’s a selection from then and more:

Owlet launches Dream Sock and BabySat at CES. Both were FDA-cleared in November and June 2023 respectively. The Dream Sock baby monitor received first-of-kind de novo clearance for pulse oximetry and sends real-time Health Notifications for low pulse rate, high pulse rate, and low oxygen to parents’ smartphones. Target market is infants 1-18 months and 6 to 30 pounds with direct sale on the Owlet website at $299.

The BabySat is the prescription-only version (left) targeted to infants 1-18 months and 6-30 pounds, but with acute or chronic medical conditions. It also has the unique capability not only to track vital signs but also for the provider to customize alarms for oxygen saturation and pulse rate. Owlet’s BabySat information page explains in plain English the type of medical conditions where the BabySat would be of assistance and the steps to obtain a prescription that is fulfilled through their partner AdaptHealth. A virtual Rx and insurance reimbursement are in the works. A small drawback is that it is only usable with an iPhone. Happily, their stock is also on the rebound at the highest point in six months. Having followed them since the ‘telehealth for the bassinet set’ days of 2012-2013, their continued independence, their rebound from some dark days, as well as their focus on baby health, this Editor continues to wish them bonne chance. Owlet release (via Yahoo Finance).

Big Investor General Catalyst announced their first acquisition move for the Health Assurance Transformation Corporation (HATCo) not at JPM but today (17 Jan). Summa Health is a $1.8 billion (in revenue) non-profit integrated healthcare system headquartered in Akron, Ohio that encompasses hospitals, community medical centers, a health plan, an accountable care organization, a multi-specialty physician organization, medical education, research and the Summa Health Foundation. HATCo’s objective is to transform healthcare towards a goal of “health assurance”, defined as “a more affordable, accessible and proactive system of care” where presumably their extensive experience in investing in healthcare gives them expertise. [TTA 10 Oct 2023] The letter of intent initially sets up a partnership with immediate investment in Summa while due diligence takes place, then when completed moves to a definitive agreement with details of the acquisition and a transaction price in the next few months. Summa would move from a non-profit to a for-profit in becoming a subsidiary of HATCo. According to their information, current management will remain in place.

Summa’s incentive is to stem losses, reportedly at $37 million through Q3 2023, more than double the prior year. HATCo in November stated its desire to buy a health system in Summa’s $1 to $3 billion range. As usual, the buy is subject to regulatory approvals and a final closing date.  HATCo release, Summa Health statement on “our future”, FierceHealthcare

To the contrary, Cigna prefers to partner, not own, healthcare providers. As a payer closer by many degrees to hospitals and practices than General Catalyst, structured much like UnitedHealth Group with Evernorth its counterpart to Optum, they have avoided the aggressive ownership of physician practices. UHG employs about 10%–90,000–physicians through ownership of practices as of December 2023. MedPageToday  At JPM, Cigna CEO Eric Palmer emphasized ‘strategic relationships’ like a minority share of VillageMD (majority owned by Walgreens) in their acquisition of Summit Health, and creating an ‘ecosystem’ that connects to the best partners. Their investments will be wrap-around services in home health, behavioral and virtual care now that a merger with Humana is once again off the table. Becker’s Payer They’ll have some cash to do so; Cigna’s sale of their Medicare Advantage business will likely be to Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) and fetch $3 to $4 billion. Becker’s Payer

Intuition Robotics debuts ElliQ 3 at CES. An interactive desktop companion robot designed to improve social connection and alleviate loneliness of older adults and those with assistive needs, the new version updates the robot hardware and software capabilities including generative AI capabilities powered by Large Language Model (LLM). The new design from Yves Behar’s design studio, Fuseproject, is also 1.3 pounds lighter and has a 36% smaller footprint which makes it easier to both place and handle, along with a fully integrated screen. Technical improvements include an octa-core SoC and a built-in AI processing unit (APU); 33% more RAM, twice the amount of computing power and memory, and an inclusion of a dual-core AI processing unit (APU), all of which are needed to power generative AI for greater ‘conversant’ capabilities. The LLM technology integrated into the Relationship Orchestration Engine makes real-time decisions regarding actions, scripted conversation, and generative AI conversations. For instance, the person speaking with ElliQ may talk about activities and beliefs, which are stored and classified. In another conversation, ElliQ may use that information to suggest participation in activities and social interactions, while ensuring that the context and flow of conversation is ‘guardrailed’ and appropriate. The AI can also assist the person in activities such as painting or writing poems together.

Current partners include the New York State Office for the Aging, Inclusa (a Humana company), and the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County, as well as newer partners like The Olympic Area Agency on Aging, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, and others. Release

Israel-based Intuition Robotics most recently raised $25 million in August 2023 in an unlettered round with $20 million in venture capital plus $5 million in venture debt. TTA 19 Sept 2023

Short takes: Intuition Robotics gains $25M funding, Akili Interactive abandons digital Rx therapeutics, NextGen goes private for $1.8B, ATA’s DC advocacy ‘fly in’ + launches new tools on disparities

September 19, 2023 | by

Catching up on the catchup…

Israel-based Intuition Robotics raised $25 million. The unlettered round closed at end of August with $20 million in venture capital plus $5 million in venture debt. According to the release, the funding was led by Woven Capital, the growth fund of Toyota, with participation from Toyota Ventures, OurCrowd, Western Technology Investment, and additional investors. Intuition Robotics is the developer of ElliQ, an interactive desktop companion robot targeted to older adults and those with assistive needs, last covered in their 2.0 update last December and their involvement with New York’s Office for the Aging [TTA 25 May 22 and WSHU]. The Area Agency on Aging of Broward County, the Olympic Area Agency on Aging, and California’s Agency on Aging in Area 4 have also worked with Intuition Robotics on distributing the companion to older adults in their programs. According to the company, older adults who successfully engage with it average over 30 daily interactions with ElliQ and reduce the devastation of loneliness for 95% of users. 

Akili Interactive exits prescription digital therapeutics (PDT), pivots to consumer, drops 40% of staff. Much like Better Therapeutics and the now sliced-up Pear Therapeutics, the company realized that PDT was not a winning strategy for its interactive video game-based therapy for adults with ADHD. The EndeavorOTC version, released in June, is available via a subscription (SaaS) through the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for $24.99 for a monthly plan or $129.00 for an annual plan. According to their release, Akili will pursue regulatory approval for over-the-counter labeling of its treatment products. Akili is yet another cracked SPAC facing a reckoning, currently trading on Nasdaq at $0.66 from its debut in August 2022 at $14 with a quick fall to $4.   HIStalk 15 Sept, Rock Health Weekly Newsletter

NextGen acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo for $1.8 billion, ending 41 years of public market trading. The offer price is $23.95 per share in cash, an over 46% premium to the Nasdaq share price on 22 August. NextGen Healthcare is an EHR with population health and practice management features designed primarily for specialty medical practices. NextGen went public as Quality Systems an eon ago in 1982.  Release, FierceHealthcare

And…the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) celebrates the third annual Telehealth Awareness Week (17-23 September) with a telehealth advocacy ‘fly in’ to meet with Congressional offices and Members in Washington DC on 18-19 September, plus their three tools to eliminate disparities in telehealth services developed by ATA’s Advisory Group on Using Telehealth to Eliminate Disparities and Inequities. They are a Digital Infrastructure Disparities Score and Map, an Economic and Social Value-Added Calculator, and a toolkit with all ATA and advisory group-developed resources. Releases 19 July (fly-in) and 18 Sept (disparities tools)

News (and robot) roundup: ElliQ companion robot upgrades, named to 2022 TIME list; Robin the Robot introduced for older adult care; Utilita acquires Canary Care (UK)

December 7, 2022 | by

ElliQ, a desktop companion robot targeted to older adults and those with assistive needs, announced an upgrade to their software, a new 2.0 edition of their hardware (left), and a communication app for caregivers. In March, when Intuition Robotics launched it, this Editor noted its unusual shape, versatile small size, controlled by a small tablet with a simplified interface, and its ability to combine both chat interactivity and wellness tracking, including appointments and med reminders.

  • The new software enhances interactivity with deeper conversations, and more content, such as museum exhibit tours, virtual travel, and the recording of memories to send to loved ones. The software upgrades are supported on ElliQ 1.0 and the new 2.0 hardware.
  • The 2.0 hardware is at a significantly larger scale with improvements such as simpler tablet charging, a better screen, and higher quality far field microphone performance. 
  • The new companion app for family members, friends, and caregivers expands capabilities into video calls, text/image/video messages, remote reminder setting, and updates on wellness changes. The free app is available shortly on the Apple Store and Google Play.

ElliQ was also named to TIME’s 2022 list of Best Inventions in the Accessibility category, for innovation in helping seniors live happier and healthier with the use of easy-to-use AI and technology.

In May, ElliQ entered a partnership with the NYSOFA (New York State Office for the Aging) program with 800 older adults in care. Based on their impact study from the first six months of distribution, ElliQ has had some impressive results, such as reducing loneliness in 80% of users and helps 82% stay mentally active. Release (PDF)

Another TIME winner in 2021 for robotics, Robin the Robot, has been introduced in care for older adults at Riverwalk Post-Acute in Riverside, California. Robin’s design is child-sized at 4 feet and mimics a child of about seven years. Most of the Robin pilots are in pediatric hospitals such as UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, augmenting care through interacting with the child, providing social support through telepresence and unobtrusive patient monitoring. This new initiative in older adult post-acute care not only monitors emotional state by observing patient facial expressions, but also provides companionship and mental stimulation through playing games and conversation at a ‘grandchild’ level. Expper Technologies, a seed-stage company also in California, in October won a $2 million round led by Starta VC with its co-investing platform Liqvest and Formula VC. HealthLeadersMedia  More on Robin’s use in this type of care is in this blog post.

In the UK, Canary Care has been acquired by energy ‘challenger’ provider Utilita. Oxfordshire-based Canary Care expands Utilita’s home services area into assistive technology with wireless sensors that monitor activity, temperature, and portal accessible by family and caregivers. Transaction cost is not disclosed. Canary Care will continue as a separate entity, but will be working with Utilita’s tech arm, Procode, on research and development. Utilita supplies energy and also energy control such as smart meters and monitoring apps. Release (PDF). 

Friday short takes: ElliQ companion robot launches, Tunstall pilots chronic condition support in Ireland, Walmart Better(s)Up, TytoCare surveys virtual primary care, Microsoft closes $19B buy of Nuance

March 18, 2022 | by

ElliQ, a small size companion robot, was officially launched this week by its developer, Intuition Robotics. From the release, it’s a national launch but concentrated in senior-rich south Florida. ElliQ responds and ‘learns’ by voice commands and through a connected tablet. It has gained some notice for its unusual shape (like a small lamp), animation in place, and initiating conversation that resembles chit-chat. Behind this is interactivity–the companion part–checking in to say “good morning,” pointing towards sleep, but also informing family or friends that you’re OK and helping track appointments and medications. We noted at the end of January that Michael Cantor, MD, JD is their chief medical officer, as well as CMO of Uber Health. Intuition release, Fast Company profile of an ElliQ beta tester, aged 81.

It’s a day late for St. Patrick’s Day, but Tunstall Healthcare piloted with several agencies in County Wexford, Ireland, in a 12-week proof of concept test of remote monitoring support of 50 patients with three chronic conditions: heart failure, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The 2021 telehealth intervention measured the impact on the patient’s clinical condition and wellbeing; in-person use of health services; ascertaining patient and clinician perceptions of the intervention and technology; and an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. The trial used the myMobile patient app and the triageManager clinical management software platform. Participating in the pilot: Age Friendly Ireland, Integrated Care Programme in the HSE, Wexford General Hospital, Tunstall Emergency Response and Wexford County Council-Age Friendly Programme. THIIS. Also in the same publication is a Tunstall take by Gavin Bashar, Tunstall UK & Ireland managing director, on aging in place with technology support.

In another expansion of Walmart into healthcare, they’re partnering with behavioral health-coaching platform BetterUp in a program dubbed ‘BetterUp for Caregivers’. The app will be offered exclusively through Walmart’s Wellness Hub. Caregivers can access support via BetterUp’s live group coaching circles hosted by a BetterUp coach. Release, Mobihealthnews

TytoCare’s quick survey found that their 300 users via a major insurer preferred more access to virtual primary care, which isn’t much of a surprise. Going through the numbers:

  • 67% felt they would be more likely to stay with their health insurer long-term as a result of being offered remote physical examinations (always catnip to insurers!)
  • 66% of users would consider a digital-first plan
  • 87% of respondents indicated they are pleased by health insurers who offer technology for remote visits
  • Much of this is a reaction to delayed in-person primary care: 90% of members wait an average of six days to see their primary care physician. Over 45% wait between 1-2 hours or more. 

And in the It’s About Time Department, Microsoft’s $19 billion purchase of Nuance Communications closed after the UK cleared the acquisition. It was our Really Big Deal of 21 April 2021. Nuance is a cloud and AI-based speech recognition company with well-known brands Dragon and PowerScribe. Becker’s. 

Technology will help ease, but not replace, rising workforce demand in long-term care: UCSF study

August 7, 2019 | by

A just-published research paper by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care, has come to the not entirely unsurprising conclusion that the current technology targeted to the LTC area is helpful but won’t displace any workers from their jobs in the immediate future. The qualitative study evaluated 13 current health tech technologies in 14 areas for their potential impact on the care of older persons as it affects LTC workforce recruitment, training, and retention. 

Some key findings were: 

  • Technology will not even come close to replacing the LTC workforce. At most it will aid LTC workers.
  • Tools such as data collection and remote patient monitoring systems that distribute data to the care team can improve staff’s understanding of client behavior and manage day-to-day tasks
  • Technology can also address workforce recruitment, retention, and staffing efficiency, such as predictive analytics used in identifying candidate suitability, improved staff management in shift scheduling, work location, and clientele, and real time location tracking, can improve the work environment
  • Technologies that monitor health and activity measurements, integrating with predictive modeling, can benefit clients, family caregivers, and care teams, but may suffer from complexity and duplication in their category. 
  • Educational tools also improve care delivery by instructing on proper caregiving techniques, increasing knowledge on medical or behavioral conditions, and by promoting sympathy/empathy

Some of the barriers included:

  • It comes at a cost which LTC is reluctant to pay
    • Initial and ongoing cost with lack of third-party Medicare/private reimbursement
    • Dependence on unattractive long term subscription-based models 
  • Threats to privacy and the security of health data
  • Potential differences in product specificity or acceptance among diverse racial and ethnic groups
  • Technology lacking user-centered design and not developed/tested in conjunction with real-world LTC 
  • Funding: only two US VCs fund LTC tech is a bit of an exaggeration, but the pool of interest is shallow nonetheless

The overall conclusion struck this Editor as less than enthusiastic, perhaps because We’re Not There Yet and it’s still so far away.

The appendix lists the 13 companies surveyed with summaries of each health tech company interviewed: Alma’s House (Sweden), Arena (staffing/recruitment), Canary Health (education/caregiver education), CarePredict (wearables/alert monitoring), Clear Care (management). Embodied Labs (education), Intuition Robotics (ElliQ), GrandCare (monitoring/client engagement), Honor (staffing), La
Valeriane (documentation), LifePod (voicetech/monitoring), UnaliWear (wearables/monitoring), VisibleHand (documentation/EHR).

The study was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).com. UCSF summary, The Impact of Emerging Technologies on Long-Term Care & the Health Workforce (full text)  Hat tip to Laura Mitchell of GrandCare via Twitter

Themes and trends at Aging2.0 OPTIMIZE 2017

November 10, 2017 | by

Aging2.0 OPTIMIZE, in San Francisco on Tuesday and Wednesday 14-15 November, annually attracts the top thinkers and doers in innovation and aging services. It brings together academia, designers, developers, investors, and senior care executives from all over the world to rethink the aging experience in both immediately practical and long-term visionary ways.

Looking at OPTIMIZE’s agenda, there are major themes that are on point for major industry trends.

Reinventing aging with an AI twist

What will aging be like during the next decades of the 21st Century? What must be done to support quality of life, active lives, and more independence? From nursing homes with more home-like environments (Green House Project) to Bill Thomas’ latest project–‘tiny houses’ that support independent living (Minkas)—there are many developments which will affect the perception and reality of aging.

Designers like Yves Béhar of fuseproject are rethinking home design as a continuum that supports all ages and abilities in what they want and need. Beyond physical design, these new homes are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology that support wellness, engagement, and safety. Advances that are already here include voice-activated devices such as Amazon Alexa, virtual reality (VR), and IoT-enabled remote care (telehealth and telecare).

For attendees at Aging2.0, there will be substantial discussion on AI’s impact and implications, highlighted at Tuesday afternoon’s general session ‘AI-ging Into the Future’ and in Wednesday’s AI/IoT-related breakouts. AI is powering breakthroughs in social robotics and predictive health, the latter using sensor-based ADL and vital signs information for wellness, fall prevention, and dementia care. Some companies part of this conversation are CarePredict, EarlySense, SafelyYou, and Intuition Robotics.

Thriving, not surviving

Thriving in later age, not simply ‘aging in place’ or compensating for the loss of ability, must engage the community, the individual, and providers. There’s new interest in addressing interrelated social factors such as isolation, life purpose, food, healthcare quality, safety, and transportation. Business models and connected living technologies can combine to redesign post-acute care for better recovery, to prevent unnecessary readmissions, and provide more proactive care for chronic diseases as well as support wellness.

In this area, OPTIMIZE has many sessions on cities and localities reorganizing to support older adults in social determinants of health, transportation innovations, and wearables for passive communications between the older person and caregivers/providers. Some organizations and companies contributing to the conversation are grandPad, Village to Village Network, Lyft, and Milken Institute.

Technology and best practices positively affect the bottom line

How can senior housing and communities put innovation into action today? How can developers make it easier for them to adopt innovation? Innovations that ‘activate’ staff and caregivers create a multiplier for a positive effect on care. Successful rollouts create a positive impact on both the operations and financial health of senior living communities.

(more…)

Toyota’s $14 million bet on Intuition Robotics’ social companion robot (JP/IL/US)

July 21, 2017 | by

Social companion robots for older adults and the disabled are hot again. Tel Aviv and now San Francisco-based Intuition Robotics is enjoying a $14 million second Series A investment from Toyota Research Institute (TRI) for the ElliQ ‘active aging companion’. The ElliQ desktop robot is tethered to a proprietary tablet to connect an older adult with the outside world via video chat, using machine learning about the person to recommend activities, and assist with appointments, medication reminders, music, wellness, and environmental monitoring. ElliQ is still in pre-release. The $14 million is being put to immediate use in initial testing with users in the Bay Area, and Intuition is ramping up with a team there. 

TRI is based in Los Altos CA and is wholly owned by Toyota North America. Earlier seed and Series A investments totaling $8 million were made by iRobot, Terra Venture Partners, Bloomberg Beta and ManivMobility. This is the second older adult-targeted robotics news in as many weeks, with the more fully-featured and ‘humanoid’ KOMPAÏ in France going the crowdfunding route (as Intuition did early on) for €250,000 to fund the next generation [TTA 5 July]. After viewing the video below, it seems to this Editor that a lot of the interactive voice command technology has been overtaken by assistants already in market like Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. TechCrunch, Home Health Care News