UC Davis launches first long-term U.S. study led by nurses on humanoid robots in dementia care

In memory care communities across the country, many people living with dementia face long stretches of loneliness. It can be especially difficult in the evening hours, with fewer staff and greater emotional needs.

What if those quiet hours offered more connection? What if a familiar presence could spark conversation or ease agitation when staff are caring for others? Can a humanoid companion robot fill that gap for people with dementia?

That's what new research from the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis aims to better understand. An entire research team that studies topics on healthy aging and technology meets at Eskaton Village in a Sacramento suburb every week to observe the interaction between a social companion robot named Abi and residents of the senior living community's memory care neighborhood.

"Social connection is not optional for health. It is essential," said School of Nursing researcher Roschelle "Shelly" Fritz, the study's principal investigator. "But in memory support settings, human time is limited. We need evidence on how thoughtfully designed technology might extend care in ethical, meaningful ways."

A robot designed for companionship, not tasks

Abi was created by Andromeda Robotics, an Australian and San Francisco-based company that seeks to support social interaction when physical care isn't always possible. Abi's ability to speak up to 90 languages, respond to conversation, recognize people over time and engage in shared activities such as music or simple games has been deployed in care homes in Australia.

Abi's presence at Eskaton in Carmichael is its first engagement in the U.S., and the location where researchers have been invited to observe how the robot will live alongside residents as part of their daily life. The research team of doctoral students and their two mentors seek to understand how a humanoid companion robot fits into everyday care routines over time. Fritz says that distinction matters.

"Short trials tell us whether an interaction works once or twice," she said. "What we don't know is what happens after the novelty fades. We don't know how people relate to the robot over months, how staff interactions with residents and workflows change, and what ethical questions emerge in real-world care."

Studying care, context and relationships

The yearlong, noninterventional study will follow up to 25 residents, with researchers observing everyday care and listening to staff and families to understand how the robot integrates into their lives. The team is eager to learn what the companion means for residents' comfort, connection and sense of well-being over time.

Some skeptics have raised concerns that reliance on humanoid companion robots could create unhealthy dependence. But researchers say this is not about replacing human connection. They want to see which interactions benefit most from the robot to enable staff members to engage in high-touch, meaningful and irreplaceable work.

"As researchers, it is our responsibility to examine the risks as carefully as the benefits in an objective way," co-principal investigator and professor Shu-Fen Wung said. "I have studied interactions between robots and older adults in a laboratory setting. However, this innovative project, which focuses on 'consistent and long-term observations,' is the first of its kind. It allows us to evaluate if, and how, this technology supports older adults and their caregivers."

Past research suggests socially assistive robots may help improve mood for some people with dementia, but the lack of long-term, real-world studies has left care providers with unanswered questions.

The Eskaton team is eager to help generate evidence that reflects the realities of daily care.

"The heart of our memory support neighborhoods is the relationships our team members build with residents every single day," said Sheri Peifer, president and CEO of Eskaton. "Abi is here to enhance that work. She gives our care partners another way to bring joy, conversation and connection into a resident's day, and she frees them to do what only a human can do."

Abi's first day at Eskaton

On the first day Abi arrived at Eskaton Village, residents gathered in a loose circle, watching the humanoid robot at the center as it spoke gently and asked simple questions. Some leaned forward, eager to respond, while others stayed quiet, studying it with cautious curiosity. Around the edges, researchers observed closely, jotting notes on paper and tablets as staff looked on with clear enthusiasm.

Midway through, Abi began to sing, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…" The familiar tune drew a visible shift as residents swayed, tapped their feet and slowly joined in, their voices growing stronger together. As the session ended, younger researchers clustered with staff, quietly asking for their impressions, still processing what they had just witnessed.

"Watching the connective experience residents and staff have when they interact with Abi is what reinforces our mission and the work we do each day," said Grace Brown, founder and CEO of Andromeda Robotics. "When I see the staff at Eskaton getting up to dance alongside Abi, and residents who rarely smile during group activities beaming from start to finish, I can see that something significant and real is happening."

Why nursing researchers are leading this work

Experts say nursing researchers are uniquely positioned to lead this work because they study health where it happens.

"Nurses bring a holistic lens to innovation," said School of Nursing Dean Stephen Cavanagh. "Nurses study care minute by minute, in relationships, routines and shared spaces. We're trained to look at the whole environment around a person, not just a diagnosis, and that's essential when you're introducing something new into daily life."

Fritz's background bridges geriatrics, informatics and ethics. Her prior work on smart homes and aging has focused on how older adults experience technology, not just whether it functions. That focus, she said, guided the study's design.

"Technology doesn't exist in a vacuum," Fritz said. "If it's going to be part of care, we have to understand how it shapes daily life."

In addition to Wung's research in gerotechnology, she brings two decades of experience in taking care of older adults with dementia. She says that a nurse, she understands the care needs of older adults and takes a pragmatic approach to objectively study the lived experiences of residents and their caregivers regarding technologies like Abi.

The work also advances the working agreement between UC Davis's Healthy Aging in a Digital World Initiative and Eskaton. Fritz serves as co-director. Researchers have conducted pilot studies that bring emerging technologies such as virtual reality eye exams into senior living communities to improve access to care and explore earlier signs of Alzheimer's disease.

Looking ahead

Findings from the study are expected to help shape how senior living communities think about social connection as a core part of dementia care, not an added extra. By closely examining daily life over a full year, the research aims to offer practical guidance for technology developers and policymakers seeking tools that support person-directed living in real settings.

More broadly, the study hopes to lay a foundation for how emerging assistive technologies can be thoughtfully integrated into residential care in ways that preserve dignity, strengthen human relationships and establish clear guardrails for responsible use as humanoid companion robots become more common.

"If technology is going to be part of care, it has to reflect our values and protect what makes us human," Fritz added.