Bay Area adult day care center uses AI-powered robot to entertain clients

By Itay Hod

Over their lifetimes, the people at Live Oak Adult Day Services in San Jose had witnessed some of the biggest technological leaps of the modern era: the arrival of television, the rise of the internet, and even Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon.

Now, they were watching something else arrive.

On a recent morning at the adult day care center, a small crowd gathered as a robot called Mirokai made its way into the room. The 4-foot-tall robot played music, led trivia games, and somehow knew exactly how to hold everyone’s attention.

Most of the clients are living with mild to moderate dementia, and Mirokai had a way of bringing the space to life.

“It has brought a lot of joy,” said Izumi Yaskawa.

Yaskawa was Live Oak’s chief happiness officer — Yes, that was actually her title. She said robots like Mirokai weren’t meant to replace caregivers, but to assist them by providing entertainment and conversation, giving staff more time to focus on hands-on care.

“Ten thousand people are turning 65 every day, and we don’t have enough caregivers,” Yaskawa said.

Once the stuff of science fiction, assistive robots are beginning to show up in nursing homes and adult day care centers across the country, as facilities grapple with staffing shortages and a rapidly aging population. Industry analysts expect the global market for elder-care assistive robots to grow from $3.4 billion in 2025 to nearly $10 billion by 2033.

According to Isabelle Blanchot, the Chief Revenue Officer of Enchanted Tools, the company behind Mirokai, the robot is also being tested beyond elder care, including trials in hospital settings designed to support children undergoing cancer treatment.

“The idea is to bring staff augmentation solutions in the form of a super cute and endearing robot,” she said. 

The technology didn’t come cheap. Mirokai could cost as much as $80,000. But judging by the reaction of 94-year-old Beryl Greensmith, this little yellow robot leaves quite the impression. 

“I never thought at my age — I’m 94 — I’d ever see a robot,” Greensmith said. “It was the highlight of my life.”

And as if that weren’t enough, Mirokai had one more trick up its sleeve: a built-in sense of humor, which, apparently, leans heavily toward dad jokes.

“What do robots eat for a snack? Computer chips,” it said.