The experiment in France seeks to change how elderly patients are cared for. The $18,000 robot's being used at a nursing home to keep seniors occupied and to take the lead in exercises. However, nursing staff also viewed by some as a superfluous tool that just "keeps the patients busy" adding they wouldn't let a robot feed patients even if it could and that humans shouldn't delegate such intimate moments to machines. The United Nations predicts the number of people over 60 will more than double to 2.1 billion by 2050. These figures point to an emerging gap, as there won’t be enough people for the required healthcare jobs. Proponents argue new technology must be created to help fill the void. In Australia, a hospital studied the effects of the robot on patients and staff. It found that it improved the mood of some patients but required significant technical support.
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