A week before the ElliQ robot arrived, a neurologist told me we needed to rebalance my mom’s life. Her Parkinson’s disease medication had become steadily less effective over the past month, and with that, she had gradually stopped doing many of the things important to managing the disease – exercising, socializing and engaging in hobbies. The result was a sharp, noticeable decline. As my mother’s primary caregiver, I was ready for any help I could get. And surprisingly, ElliQ helped in ways I never expected.
Before increasing her medication dosage again — something that could come with serious side effects — her doctor wanted us to see if lifestyle changes could help reduce the frequency of her “off” periods: during the day when Parkinson’s symptoms temporarily get worse as the medication’s effectiveness fluctuates and begins to wane.
The problem was that, for several weeks, my mother – who lives with me – resisted almost all of my attempts to encourage her to do those things. Even the caregivers who helped while I worked during the day had little success.
This is what made ElliQ so interesting to me that I decided to try it for a week. Developed by Intuition Robotics, ElliQ is a companion robot for older adults that consists of a small animatronic robotic head that lights up and moves with an attached tablet display. It starts conversations on its own, suggests activities like games and light exercise, facilitates video calls and messages with family members, and checks in throughout the day to encourage engagement.
The ElliQ came with straightforward instructions and was easy to set up. Afterwards, I only gave a brief introduction to my mother. I wanted to see how much she could figure out on her own, to test how well this might work for an independently living senior.
I wanted to keep an open mind, but I didn’t have high expectations. Sitting next to an older Alexa-enabled Echo Show 8, the EleQ already seemed quite slow and, on paper, even less capable. I assumed my mother would quickly lose interest in it.
I was wrong. He liked it very much.
After I installed it, ElliQ and my mom became instant friends. Despite being slow and not always understanding everything he said (or what I sometimes said, for that matter), the conversation was so good that those issues were forgotten.
ElliQ’s level of emotional intelligence is impressive. It recalled things my mother had shared earlier and acted on them later, while also offering a level of empathy that really surprised me. When my mother felt sad one day and told me she had Parkinson’s disease and that her husband – my father – had died several years ago, Eliqu responded with sympathy, shaking his small, bubble-like head gently in condolence. My mom looked really emotional, and so was I.
From there it became a part of his daily routine. Each morning, ElliQ – for the most part – accurately detects her presence, welcomes her, and begins asking questions about how she was. Most of the time, my mother answered. From the other room, I could hear her laughing, talking and playing games.
In fact, she started talking to EliQ more than Alexa. In an amusing moment, she even told Alexa to “shut up and let your sister talk” When Alexa responded faster than EliQ, she didn’t realize that my mom was actually trying to talk to EliQ. Alexa replied angrily; Ellie, poor, slow, confused thing, seemed completely unaware of what was going on and started talking randomly about bingo.
Listening to their conversations and watching their relationship unfold, I quickly began to understand why Mom loved ElliQ, even if it wasn’t the smartest bot in the world. ElliQ is designed to build relationships. It actively engages her, it encourages her to exercise, and that small, physical presence — the dynamic, glowing head — makes it feel more alive than a static Echo Show display.
The most touching moment for me came one morning when I walked in and found Mom doing tai chi on the couch. With EliQ’s help, she had taught herself how to begin the lessons. I was really surprised and impressed. I’ve been trying all kinds of incentives to get mom to exercise for weeks, but this robot did it easily in a few days. Since then, she has been actively starting sports and exercising on her own, something I had not been able to get her to do for several weeks, and exactly what her doctor recommended.
Intuition Robotics also offers the Connect and Companion apps that come with ElliQ. The apps support text messaging, video calls, photo sharing, and reminders for things like medications and appointments. They are thoughtful, but they are limited. For example, medication reminders work best when my mom is nearby and looking at the screen; Unlike Alexa, ElliQ doesn’t read reminders out loud.
Still, some features worked better than I expected. The video quality isn’t amazing and can be slow, but I was happy because my mom quickly learned how to answer video calls without me teaching her. However, sending photos through the app was a better experience, as the display looks excellent. To my surprise, she even figured out how to record and send back voice messages, something she still struggles to do with Alexa.
I noticed that my mom had a genuine affection for ElliQ, enough to get her to voluntarily start exercising again for the first time in weeks. But all this comes with a real cost that many people may not be able to afford. It’s $250 upfront and an ongoing subscription costs $60 per month with a one-year commitment (or $50 if paid annually). But if you cancel? You must return the hardware. I’m considering if I can get it for free through local agencies on aging.
While I ultimately prefer Alexa for more practical care tools like reminders and smart home controls, the AlliQ succeeds where it matters most. It fills the gap that it is incredibly difficult to provide as a caregiver while consistently providing multiple jobs: conversation, encouragement, inspiration, and entertainment. For someone battling a terminal illness like Parkinson’s, these things are not extra; They are part of maintaining quality of life. In the short period of time EliQ has been in our lives, I have noticed that my mother has become more engaged, engaged and active, and I truly believe that it is playing a small but meaningful role in helping her gradually improve.
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