Project pilots across Europe with over 2000 users

We are proud to be contributing to the recently launched EU project SHAPES, supporting independent and healthy living for older individuals. For this project we are adapting our robots TIAGo and ARI to be used with the smart digital platform being created, about which we talk in our blog.

For the aging population in Europe there is a greater risk of cognitive impairment and chronic health conditions, which brings issues for independence, quality of life and health and care systems. SHAPES stands for “Smart and Healthy Ageing through People Engaging in supportive Systems”. The project aims to create an environment that supports deployment of digital solutions to support healthy and independent living for older individuals.

The SHAPES project is creating a platform that integrates smart digital solutions to collect and analyse older individuals’ health, and environmental and lifestyle information, as well as identify their needs and provide personalized solutions for healthy living. The overall goal of the project is to increase the efficiency of health care provision across Europe for older individuals.

Our robots TIAGo and ARI are being adapted to use with the platform, in order to help with mobility and rehabilitation exercises, engage in social activities, explore the use of the robot manipulator, and to be able to assist in specific tasks. 

We are aiming to deploy our robots on several pilot sites of Europe, including Spain, Italy, Greece and Ireland, to deliver cognitive games as well as aid in other assistive tasks among older people living in sheltered apartments or care homes.

The project pilot activity involves a total of 36 activities being carried with over 2,000 users and incorporating smart-living environment for healthy aging, physical rehabilitation at home or caring for older individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. 

An older woman interacting with TIAGo's screen

Integrating new software into ARI and TIAGo

Next month, in May 2020, Work package 5 SHAPES Digital Solutions will start, where PAL Robotics is leading the task of Robotics and Assistive Technologies, focused on integration of robots into the SHAPES platform. For this we will work with partners all over Europe to integrate multiple SHAPES software onto our ARI and TIAGo robots, such as Clínica Humana’s ROSA Chatbot, SciFY’s games and TREE’s emotion recognition system.

The humanoid social robot ARI with its interactive screen on

Overall project objectives and upcoming workshop

The overall project objectives are:

  • Build and deliver an EU open Platform which integrates smart digital solutions to collect and analyse older individuals’ health, environmental and lifestyle information; identify their needs and provide personalised solutions;
  • Enlarge SHAPES Platform to allow stakeholders to exchange knowledge and expertise in order to identify current and future solutions and provide mutual advice, training and support;
  • Achieve a successful market deployment which connects demand and supply, promotes the co-creation of digital solutions and seeks to improve H&C delivery in Europe.

Although this project is still in the early stages, the aim is that, by the end of the project, we can already see more focused deployments and we can talk about a more widespread reality of deployments of robots such as TIAGo and ARI supporting independent and healthy living for the older individuals across Europe.

On 12 May 2020 SHAPES will have the first dialogue workshop for those interested in learning more about the vision and concept of the Platform and Ecosystem, as well as SHAPES use cases. 

In addition to the SHAPES project, PAL Robotics works on many EU-funded projects covering areas such as smart cities, factories of the future and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

We are always on the look for new potential partners, to find out more about EU funded projects or request information, visit PAL Robotics’ collaborative projects webpage and don’t hesitate to get in touch.