SS04 – Care-E-Bot

Care-E-Bot is an AI chatbot, designed specifically for the Hong Kong elderly to reduce boredom and to detect a situation in the case of depression or dementia. It is unique for its Cantonese-enabled technology and Hong Kong context. It not only chats with the elderly, but also encourages healthy living and positive thinking. Besides chatting, its additional functions, including the monitoring tests, the chat records, verbal commands of remote-controlled electrical appliances and sending SMS messaging, facilitate the elderly in day-to-day living and allow families to maintain close relationships with elderly members. User comments show that users feel happier while caretakers and family members feel less stressed. Through interviews conducted before the design process, we found that the elderly do not like complicated mobile apps; therefore, Care-E-Bot is entirely voice-enabled. For example, a simple ‘ni hao’ (你好) triggers the chatbot to turn-on, and a ‘hoi dang’ (開燈) command switches on the light. Mindful of the aging population in Hong Kong and an increasing trend of elderly people living alone, Care-E-Bot has a high potential to become very popular in benefiting the community as a feasible, effective solution to elderly care.