On September 12, 2017, OhmniLabs had a 30 minute phone interview with one of Ohmni telepresence robot beta users, Elaine. She acquired Ohmni for her 94 year-old mum. The family is quite happy about their purchase and we want to know exactly why before Ohmni telepresence robot will be finalised and delivered this late October 2017.
1. What did you use for communication before Ohmni and how effective was that?
My mum has 6 daughters, 3 living in town, 3 living away. She’s now in retirement home and loves the support from her daughters. So we spent a lot of time supporting her. Normally we use phone or visit. But it is not enough. She is now 94 so she forgets a lot, for example, she often forgets to take the pills. And so we were looking for additional support which she doesn’t want to have.
When I looked into getting additional help for Mum to oversee certain tasks during her day, the cost was going to be an additional $14,000 AUD a year. So the cost of “Bing” (how she names the robot) was MUCH more economical and as I’ve said, Mum was not wanting different people that she didn’t know coming in twice a day to look after things that we are able to manage remotely.
She’s like a child that needs instructions on everything and I need to catch her doing things as well. But our major concern is to provide another support she needs without hindering her privacy so Bing is the perfect fit. For example, this morning, at 6am, I checked on her (using the robot) and the light was on, and she was sitting in the chair. I was worried she would be sleeping on it, so I said, “Mum, go to bed” and she said "oh ok", and she went to bed. I also have a little dog and I could bring it on screen which brought her joy. I was able to look for her lost hearing aid as well. Also, she has security braces that she never wears! I often told her to put that on while we are on the phone but now I can watch her and remind her more often so I feel it is much safer.
2. How did you know about Ohmni?
My sister saw it on TV, on CBC, a Canadian broadcasting. She thought it is something right for mum. So she started all the investigations and I ended up contacting Tingxi.
3. Did you consider any other robots beside Ohmni?
Nope. We didn’t know anything else like that at all. My sister said it was not ready for sale but you can preorder. And when I talked to people about Ohmni: they're just wow! When people talk about robots, we only think about the vacuum cleaner and don’t realise the robot has come this far… but wow this is such a great application! And there must be a huge market for it, especially in the elderly population.
4. Which features from Ohmni that you find most attractive that made you decide to get it?
The fact that it is mobile! The fact that I can see her!
5. Now that you have used it, which features you like the most from Ohmni?
Mobility! The robot neck goes up and down but it would be a bonus for us if it has a 360 view even when docking. The base moves so I got to put it up against the wall to better docking.
6. Was it difficult for you to set it up?
Setting it up was a breeze and I was just by myself so I was “wow, this is so easy!”
7. How does your mum feel about the Ohmni’s presence?
She loves it! She often sits in her chair and waves at it. She even names it Bing because she loves Bing Crosby the singer. She also enjoys helping me docking it: “Go the left! No no, go to the right!”
8. Was there any cases where Ohmni was able to help prevent a foreseen incident?
It happened a couple of times when she tried to pick up something on the floor. I caught it and told her to leave it. I don’t want her to bend down and break herself. And she has a blood pressure pill that she often forgets to take. So I was really preventing her from getting sick by reminding her to take the drug.
9. One word to describe how you feel about the presence of Ohmni at your mum’s side?
Relief!
10. Would you recommend Ohmni telepresence robot for others?
Absolutely!!! It goes way beyond having a little camera in the room. It provides the social aspect. And the sisters can get involved in her
life even when they are away. So when we discuss issues, they will be able to relate to those issues a lot better as we now have a common ground when taking care of her. You have a great product and it has so many applications, especially in the elderly community.
My mum is lucky to still have her daughters in town but lots of people don’t have this and Ohmni will be a great help!
To find out how the Ohmni telepresence robot can assist the ageing population, click here.
About Robots4Good
A leading provider of robots as a service, Robots4Good is the exclusive supplier of OhmniLabs robots and services in Australia and New Zealand for business, manufacturing, schools, hospitals, disability and aged care settings.