The United States is not a great place for old people, to put it lightly.
Though the elderly population is at its highest number in history, seniors face a myriad of unprecedented crises in the form of AI-powered insurance claims denial, unwalkable communities, and eldercare abuse.
That's not to mention the prospect of growing old in a society where your well-being is directly tied to your wage — as that same society devises ever-more powerful AI models that can scam you out of your 401K at any time.
Luckily, a few crafty American engineers are using some good old techno-solutionism to aid the elderly.
A team of engineers at MIT recently unveiled what they're calling the Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot, or E-BAR for short. The robo-buddy is designed as a physical support for old folks, and can hold a person's weight, lift them from a seated position, and save them from a fall with "rapidly inflating side airbags," according to MIT News.
The bot itself gets around on four omnidirectional wheels, which are controlled independently. This allows E-BAR to rotate in place and hold an elderly person without toppling over as it cradles them in its metallic arms.
A uploaded by the engineers shows E-BAR assisting in six tasks typical of an elderly caregiver, including getting into and out of a bathtub, be