AI Robot Helps Shielded People During Lockdown

AI technology helps local council identify hundreds of shielding households in need of support during Covid-19 lockdown.

07:31 24 June 2020

Tech start-up Yokeru has developed an AI robot that identifies hundreds of households needing extra support during the coronavirus lockdown. Founders Monty and Hector Alexander, who designed the device after their grandmother was left for eight hours unaided following a fall, aim to ensure isolated households are not overlooked. 

 

The pair's automated voice call system is being used by Hammersmith & Fullham Council  to regularly contact 9,000 residents shielding in the west London borough. Residents are asked if they feel at risk or if they have concerns for their mental or physical safety. 

 

Explaining what motivated them to introduce the technology, Hector, 26, said: "Mum had just been receiving post through the door, and the odd text message just checking to make sure she's OK - two pieces of post and one text message while she was shielded. 

 

"And Dad thought 'hold on a second'. Why don't you apply this automated call centre technology into this monitoring of shielded household environment?" 

 

"So we spoke to the local authority about this and they saw a huge amount of value in the concept because they have found themselves in this position where they had thousands of people who had gone into isolation and therefore were hidden from health services.

 

"And they realised they had to monitor those individuals somehow, and they had no way of doing it." 

 

Ben Coleman, Hammersmith & Fulham Council cabinet member for health and social care, said: "This pandemic has demanded ingenious solutions to unforeseen problems, and by working with Yokeru on this we've been able to keep thousands of our residents safe."