Prototype of a system based on voice assistants for cognitive stimulation of the elderly

The population of Europe is getting older and factors such as labor mobility and the low birth rate have increased single-person households. In addition, many older people want to stay at home. For this to be possible, it is necessary to promote active aging policies that slow cognitive decline and help maintain good mental health. In this article we describe a system based on voice assistants (VAs) to improve the physical and mental health of the elderly. The solution proposes different activities to the user and gathers information about the status of the user. Voice assistants are an ideal tool to promote the autonomy of the elderly thanks to their low cost, the multiple possibilities they offer to interact with the user and their ease of use. A preliminary study of the system has been conducted with six users aged between 60 and 93 years. The results show a good predisposition to integrate the solution into their daylife. It has also been verified that regardless of age, all the participants were able to interact with the system and complete the proposed activities.