Barcelona to purchase 600 social robots to boost home care services 

 

The Barcelona city council has approved the purchase of 600 intelligent robotic assistants (ARI) as part of a pilot project for advanced home remote healthcare.  

The robots are designed to complement personal services for users by quickly detecting emergency situations that may arise in their homes.  

The budget for this project is €3,799,023, which will be financed through Next Generation EU funds. Of the 600 social robots, 400 will be deployed in private homes, while the remaining 200 will be installed in care centers managed by the Catalan social rights ministry in the city. 

The goal of the social robot is to improve the quality of life and autonomy of elderly people in the early stages of cognitive decline or dependency, according to the city council. The contract allows for an extension of up to 1,000 units. 

The project is conceived as a pilot program aimed at gathering relevant data on the feasibility of the initiative. If successful, the model could be expanded and applied to other areas of care.