Director of study: Prof. Jacques Penders
Additional information: Open to all Students; Self funded

Dementia is a progressive disorder which affects many aspects of an individual’s life. As problems mount people with dementia and their carers may decide that 24 hour care is needed. At this point carers and people with dementia usually decide that they need to move to a care home.  Although as carers we may gradually lose the ability to communicate verbally with people with dementia they still need, and benefit from therapeutic interventions that can stimulate their interests and give them some fun.

In health care we know that exercise has positive benefits for individuals of all ages and lack of exercise can have serious adverse effects particularly later in life and yet we frequently see images of people with dementia in care homes sitting alone or in groups.  It is also known that amongst those suffering with dementia there is evidence of 'wandering'. Wandering represents one of the three categories of disruptive behaviour of people with dementia. The behaviour is disruptive from the carer’s point of view. Restless wanderers may make up 50% of the population of inpatient special care dementia units.

A robot is typically a device that can move itself around. The project's aim is to design a companion robot which will move around in a residential area, home or care home. The mobile robot would be made to navigate the environment autonomously. The robot could just be there to provide a (positive) distraction to residents. The more ambitious idea would be that the robot becomes a robotic companion which accompanies restless nursing home residents or invites and persuades inactive residents to walk.

For further information, please contact Prof. Jacques Penders