Australia’s largest rollout of humanoid companion robots in aged care
Mecwacare rolls out companion robots across aged care homes
- Major rollout: 22 Abi robots deployed across Victorian homes
- Resident impact: Supporting 1,500+ residents with companionship and engagement
- Advanced features: Multilingual, dementia-friendly and interactive capabilities
- Innovation push: Part of broader $20m digital and AI investment
Melboune-based Not For Profit mecwacare has successfully completed the successful deployment of 22 Abi companion robots across its residential aged care homes in Victoria.
Mecwacare CEO Anne McCormack said the impact that Abi is already having on residents has been profound, supporting more than 1,500 residents through meaningful social interaction and companionship.
“Our residents see Abi as part of the circle of care and our staff refer to Abi as our Happiness Assistant. She’s lifting moods, reducing physical, social and linguistic isolation, encouraging connection and helping people express themselves in ways that feel natural and comfortable. For families, seeing their loved ones laughing and engaging is incredibly powerful,” Anne said.
Developed by Andromeda Robotics in partnership with mecwacare, Abi has been introduced as an innovative companion designed to enhance wellbeing, particularly for residents living with dementia or those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
From singing and storytelling to dancing and speaking in residents’ preferred languages, Abi is designed to create moments of joy and connection throughout the day. She can speak up to 90 languages, remembers people she has met and engages in more responsive real-time conversations.
Grace Brown, Co-founder and CEO of Andromeda Robotics, said the partnership with mecwacare had created a new model for compassionate care.
“We designed Abi to address the real and growing problem of loneliness and social isolation. We’re proud to achieve this milestone with mecwacare, who share our goal of using innovative technology to support aged care residents in ways that are personal, social and deeply human,” Grace said.
Abi has been developed specifically for aged care settings, with features including dementia-friendly communication, improved eye-level engagement, enhanced audio for older hearing profiles, and navigation technology that allows her to move safely through care environments.
The response from residents and staff has already been overwhelmingly positive, with early feedback showing improvements in resident mood, wellbeing and engagement, said the Not For Profit.
The rollout was celebrated at mecwacare’s newest residential home, John Hood Terrace, in Richmond, the inner-city suburb of Melbourne, on Friday, 17 April.
In December 2024, mecwacare announced it was investing $20 million in digital transformation and generative AI.
