The EI ROBOT project

The European (and global) population is ageing, which leads to an increase in age-related afflictions (e.g. dementia) and corresponding challenges regarding their well-being. Declining cognitive functions combined with a shortage of healthcare workers further complicate the matter. Consequently, loneliness, depression and anxiety for people in long-term care institutions are at risk to increase. Robotic solutions are proposed to support residents in daily routines and alleviate the workload of healthcare workers. With emotion-intelligent robotics, non-pharmacological interventions can be fast and easily fitted for personal preferences and the cognitive abilities of residents.

Emotion-intelligent robot system

The objective of EI ROBOT is to develop an emotion-intelligent robot system to enhance the well-being of persons with dementia or other intellectual disabilities residing in long-term care institutions through personalized interactions while supporting care professionals. The intelligent robotic solution integrates advanced sensing technology, artificial intelligence, and personalized interventions. The system will monitor the residents' physiological states in real-time using non-intrusive sensors, and then accurately interpret this data to estimate the emotional states of agitation and drowsiness. The robot will deliver tailored interventions to address individual needs, thereby enhancing the residents' emotional well-being and reducing the workload on caregivers. Our sub-objectives are:

1. Advanced Sensing Technology: Implement non-intrusive sensors to monitor residents' physiological and emotional states in real-time, measuring heart rate, respiration, and stress levels.
2. AI-Driven Emotion Recognition: Develop AI algorithms to accurately detect and interpret residents' emotional states, combining data from multiple sensors for comprehensive analysis.
3. Personalized Interventions: Design personalized non-pharmacological intervention protocols based on residents' emotional and physiological states, providing real-time responses to improve well-being.
4. Ethics, Validation, and Acceptance: Maintain ethical considerations through expert validation and trustworthy AI principles and analyze the acceptance of the robot. 

Team

The project team at SEFAS is interdisciplinary and is led by Monica Patrascu. Valentina Casadei provides scientific support in data analysis. Bettina S. Husebø, Line I. Berge, and Kirsti Eikeland provide expertise in elderly care, specifically for people with dementia. Psychologist Kirsti Eikeland joined the team as a researcher with a clinical background in 2025. Finn Patrick Nilsen is the user representative for this project. 

Impact

The results of EI ROBOT will provide valuable knowledge on emotion recognition via sensing technology, the delivery of individualized non-pharmacological interventions, and the effect on both users and the care staff. By utilizing a modular and multi-modal approach, the emotion-intelligent robot system has sustainable potential for different use cases and settings in both future extramural and intramural care.

Current status

The project underwent the mandatory ethics assessment from the Eurostars Ethics Committee and received clearance. At the UiB, we continued the user involvement process and began the investigation into the ethical aspects of human vs. machine autonomy.

Consortium

The EI ROBOT project is a collaboration between leading research institutions and companies from Norway and the Netherlands. The consortium includes VitalThings, the University of Bergen, and Mentech Innovation, each contributing unique expertise in elderly care, ethics, artificial intelligence (AI), sensor technology, and robotics.

• Mentech Innovation (ekstern lenke) (Netherlands): Mila Chorbadzhieva, Tim Hulshof, Erwin Meinders, and Lisanne Schiphorst
• University of Bergen (Norway)
• Vitalthings (ekstern lenke) (Norway): Ståle Toften and Trond Håkon Trondsen

The research team

• Monica Patrascu, PhD, researcher, study PI
• Valentina Casadei, PhD, postdoc/researcher, and engineer
• Bettina Husebø, MD, PhD, Professor, leader of SEFAS
• Line Iden Berge, MD, PhD, specialist in psychiatry, senior doctor at NKS Olaviken Gerontopsychiatric Hospital, and associate professor at SEFAS
• Kirsti Eikeland, BSN, Cand. Psychol., researcher (50 % for EI ROBOT)
• Finn Patrick Nilsen, user representative