ENRICHME · Project

Robot Companion System That Monitors Elderly Health and Keeps Them Independent at Home

healthPilotedTRL 6

Imagine a friendly robot that lives with your grandmother, keeps an eye on her health without being intrusive, and gently reminds her to do brain exercises and stay socially connected. It learns her daily habits over time, so if something seems off — like she skipped meals or stopped moving around — it alerts the family or care team. The system was tested for a full year in 3 real elderly housing facilities across Europe, not just in a lab. Think of it as a smart, patient housemate that never sleeps and always notices when something changes.

By the numbers

Elderly housing facilities where the system was validated across Europe

1 year

Duration of real-world validation in care facilities

ENRICHME prototypes built for initial testing in AAL facilities

Complete ENRICHME systems released for the validation phase

Separate AAL laboratories used for system testing

Consortium partners across 7 countries

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe's population is aging fast, and care facilities everywhere face the same crunch: too many residents needing constant monitoring, not enough trained staff to watch everyone. Cognitive decline in elderly people often goes unnoticed until it becomes a crisis, leading to expensive emergency interventions and premature moves to full-time institutional care. Families and caregivers need a way to spot problems early and keep seniors independent longer — without requiring 24/7 human surveillance.

The solution

What was built

The project built 2 ENRICHME robot prototypes for initial testing, then scaled up to 6 complete integrated systems combining a mobile service robot with ambient sensors for non-invasive health monitoring. These systems were deployed and validated for 1 year in 3 elderly housing facilities across Europe, providing cognitive stimulation, social inclusion tools, and real-time alerts for caregivers.

Audience

Who needs this

Assisted living facility operators struggling with staff-to-resident ratiosHome healthcare technology companies building aging-in-place solutionsHealth insurance companies looking to reduce long-term care costsMunicipal social services departments managing elderly care programsRobotics companies seeking validated eldercare use cases to commercialize

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Elderly Care & Assisted Living

mid-size

Target: Operators of residential care homes and assisted living facilities

If you are a care home operator dealing with staff shortages and the challenge of monitoring dozens of residents around the clock — this project developed a mobile robot system validated for 1 year in 3 elderly housing facilities that tracks daily activities, detects cognitive decline trends, and alerts staff to emergencies. It was designed with modular components to limit costs and allow flexible deployment across different facility layouts.

Home Healthcare Technology

SME

Target: Companies developing smart home or telehealth products for aging-in-place

If you are a health tech company building products that help seniors live independently at home — this project built 6 complete integrated systems combining a mobile service robot with ambient sensors for non-invasive physiological monitoring. The system was tested in 2 AAL labs before real-world validation, proving the technology works outside controlled environments. The adaptive interaction learns from each user over time to provide personalized cognitive stimulation.

Insurance & Long-Term Care

enterprise

Target: Health insurers or long-term care insurance providers

If you are an insurer looking to reduce the cost of long-term residential care by helping policyholders stay independent at home longer — this project demonstrated a system across 3 European elderly housing facilities that detects evolving cognitive impairment trends early. Early detection means earlier intervention, which can delay the expensive transition to full-time institutional care. The professional networked care infrastructure connects caregivers, medical staff, and family into one coordinated system.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this system in our care facility?

The project specifically mentions a modular implementation designed to limit costs and allow maximal flexibility. However, no specific unit pricing or deployment cost data is available from the project documentation. You would need to contact the consortium partners for commercial pricing.

Can this scale beyond a pilot to cover an entire care network?

The project progressed from 2 prototypes to 6 complete systems deployed across 3 elderly housing facilities in different European countries, demonstrating the ability to replicate across sites. The modular architecture was specifically designed for flexibility across different environments. Scaling to a full care network would require manufacturing partnerships beyond the current consortium.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

The consortium includes 12 partners from 7 countries, with 3 industry partners and 4 SMEs involved. IP is likely shared among consortium members under the Horizon 2020 grant agreement. A licensing discussion would need to start with the coordinator, ALTHEA ITALIA SPA, an Italian company.

Has this been tested with real elderly residents, not just in a lab?

Yes. The system was first tested in 2 separate AAL laboratories, then validated for 1 year in 3 different elderly housing facilities across Europe. This real-world validation with actual residents is a significant step beyond typical lab-only demonstrations.

How does this integrate with our existing care management systems?

The project built a professional infrastructure of networked care connecting caregivers, medical staff, and the broader support network. Based on available project data, the system enables staff to identify evolving trends of cognitive impairments and detect immediate emergencies. Specific integration protocols with third-party electronic health records are not detailed in the available documentation.

Is this compliant with healthcare regulations in our country?

The system was validated in 3 facilities across Europe, suggesting alignment with European data and healthcare standards. The monitoring uses non-invasive techniques for physiological and activity tracking. However, specific regulatory certifications (CE marking for medical devices, GDPR compliance details) would need to be confirmed directly with the consortium.

What kind of ongoing support or maintenance does the robot need?

Based on available project data, the system combines a mobile service robot with ambient sensors and adaptive software that learns over time. The modular design suggests components can be maintained or upgraded independently. Specific maintenance schedules or support contracts are not detailed in the project documentation.

Consortium

Who built it

The ENRICHME consortium brings together 12 partners from 7 European countries (Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, UK), with a balanced mix of 3 industry players, 3 universities, 3 research institutes, and 3 other organizations. Four partners are SMEs, giving a 25% industry ratio. The coordinator is ALTHEA ITALIA SPA, an Italian company. This mix ensures both technical robotics expertise and real-world care sector knowledge. The multi-country spread is particularly relevant because the system was validated in 3 different elderly housing facilities, proving it works across different European care cultures and regulatory environments.

UNIWERSYTET MEDYCZNY IM KAROLA MARCINKOWSKIEGO W POZNANIUparticipant · PL
UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLNparticipant · UK
PAL ROBOTICS SLUparticipant · ES
STICHTING SMART HOMESparticipant · NL
AKTIOS YPIRESIES YGEIAS KAI PERITHALPSIS ILIKIOMENON KAI CHRONOS PASCHONTON ANONYMI ETAIREIAparticipant · EL
ASSOCIATION POUR LA RECHERCHE ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT DES METHODES ET PROCESSUS INDUSTRIELSparticipant · FR
ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE DE TECHNIQUES AVANCEESthirdparty · FR
ROBOSOFT Services Robotsparticipant · FR
FONDAZIONE DON CARLO GNOCCHI ONLUSparticipant · IT
KONTOR 46 DI BONASSO MATTEO SASparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

The coordinator is ALTHEA ITALIA SPA based in Italy. Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the right contact person.

Order a report on this consortium

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the ENRICHME team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific use case — whether you need the robotics technology, the monitoring platform, or the care methodology.

Order a report on this topic More in Health & Biomedical