Robot assistants built by British Gas sister company could tackle loneliness in the elderly

British Gas sister company Centrica Hive is planning a robot assistant to help tackle loneliness among the elderly. Its new system allows older people to be remotely monitored by their families using sensors on home items like cupboards, kettles and their front door.
Managing director Claire Miles said the smart-home company, which like British Gas is owned by energy giant Centrica, now wanted to incorporate a virtual assistant who could talk to a user and stop them from becoming lonely.
“There's lots of research and lots of potential solutions out there already for how loneliness and isolation can be tackled through robotics,” she told the Sunday Telegraph in an interview at the Consumer.