I imagine someone with Alzheimer’s for example, wanting something to come when called, or getting teh sensation of feeding something to reward it for a trick… but these people couldn’t be trusted with a live animal as a permanent pet… it’s an interesting solution.

And the TV/Conversation comparison was quite apt, i think. If you have fear of others, or are seriously incapable of interaction with people; or if you live out in the middle of nowhere (prior to internet, i suppose) then teh tv was replacement “human interaction” and did stave off some aspects of depression, loneliness, and isolation. but it’s not a “fix”. just a “bandaid”.

When she was down, she asked us to wind up her bird for her (she couldn’t do it herself anymore) and have him “sing”. The mechanical bird would flap and bob and move its beak while the music played.

She was in no condition to care for a pet, but her little mechanical bird brought her some pleasure.

For folks whose only company is the radio or television and they are not physically able to tend a live pet, something mechanical to interact with might help them fight depression and keep them mentally together for longer than nothing at all.

And should these folks die or become very ill, there’s no live animal suffering for that loss/lack of care.

Are mechanical pets a good idea for everyone? Of course not. But in some circumstances, they may be a good idea.

Don - I’ve spent time visiting a loved one a nursing home - some of the residents would be delighted with a visitor bringing in a turnip, so long as the visitor also said ‘hello’.

In the mean time, by any chance were both the robo dog and the real dog accompanied by people? Do you suppose an old person, lonely from a lack of visitors, would be just as happy seeing some half-wit with a robo dog as they would be seeing a real person?

Duh!

I have real mixed feelings about this story. My first reaction is to be very pissed that anyone would insinuate that a robot could come anywhere close to giving the feelings of love and bonding that a real dog does. I then have feelings of concern that places who are not familiar with therapy dogs will use the study to justify not allowing therapy dogs into the facility and then just getting a few robot dogs that they would bring around once a week. I then thought about if I were in a place where I could not have any animals how would I react to a robot dog. It would certainly bring up memories of my companions of the past and it might even make me feel closer to their spirits and their presence (which I do believe they hang around us and watch over us after they have passed over.) I can’t imagine snuggling up to one of these at night, I’ld have to have a stuffed one for that. If they truly are programmed as well as the guy says they are, then maybe it would be a good alternative. I can’t imagine that it would replace the joy I would feel at the visits from a real dog. I would be curious to see if the people who responded positively to the robot had ever had an animal companion. I would also like to see a study where they had visits from both the robot and the real dog and then ask them if one or the other was more comforting to them.