Hello Robot has received nearly $3 million over three years to study its Stretch robot for elder care, first reported by Roboticsandautomationnews. The three-year project will examine how the robot could support cognitive assistance, social engagement and safety management for people with mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s dementia at home and in care settings.
The award is a Phase IIB Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the research partner, and the funding is intended to advance Stretch’s commercialization for in-home and care-setting use.
Researchers will use Stretch 4, Hello Robot’s newest model, introduced in May, and AI-powered advances in language, planning, perception and voice interaction. Planned functions include reminders and activity guidance, initiating social interactions, and support for routines involving mobility, hydration and other daily needs.
The study will include participatory design research with 60 older adults, care partners and professional care staff. Home evaluations will involve older adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia and their care partners; professional staff will use Stretch in care settings over an eight-week period.
Researchers will assess effectiveness, usability, reliability, trust, acceptance and safe operation around older adults, while identifying practical requirements for deployment. The evaluation plan spans homes and professional care settings and measures trust and acceptance alongside effectiveness.
Hello Robot CEO and co-founder Aaron Edsinger said, “A robot’s value isn’t how complicated the task is. It’s how much agency that task gives someone.”
The project builds on earlier NIH-funded work that used participatory design to refine Stretch for older adults with cognitive and physical impairments. Researchers also evaluated the robot in naturalistic settings with ClarkLindsey Life Plan Community to identify applications for further development.
More than 11,000 Americans turn 65 every day, and nearly 9.7 million direct caregiving job openings, including new jobs and vacancies, need to be filled by 2034. The Phase IIB project began on September 22, 2026, and is expected to continue through May 2029.