Robot-assisted cognitive exercise in mild cognitive impairment patients: The RAPP approach

Medical advances have increased life expectancy to the point where senior citizens comprise a larger than ever percentage of the general population. The RAPP project introduces socially interactive robots that will not only physically assist, but also serve as a companion to senior citizens. In this paper, a novel system is presented, designed as part of the RAPP project that aims to assist senior citizens with mild cognitive impairment in performing cognitive tests as a means of exercise, while also keeping track of their performance. Our goal is to provide an interactive and intriguing user friendly alternative to the classic cognitive tests that will keep the patient interested and thus increase compliance. Tracking the patient's performance in the cognitive tests can prove invaluable as the data can be further associated with medical treatment or lifestyle changes and conclusively lead to better understanding of the nature of cognitive decline.