ASU builds new tools to help Veterans combat loneliness, social isolation
May 6
An Arizona State University (ASU) research team has developed tech tools to help combat loneliness and social isolation in retired military personnel, as Veterans are particularly vulnerable to social isolation.
Nicole Roberts, Associate Professor of Psychology for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at ASU, joined forces with Ming Zhao, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering for the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence at ASU. Together they are part of a team of researchers who have been awarded a grant to develop artificial intelligence tools for edge devices that will improve health care outcomes for aging Veterans. Roberts and Zhao joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss their work on the project.
The project is supported by the grant called EdgeCare. Edge devices are small electronics, like cellphones, smartwatches and doorbell cameras that are becoming an important part of day-to-day life.
The ASU research team is essentially trying to create an AI-powered digital assistant that will run on a small device in the Veteran’s home. EdgeCare will connect to the cloud to have access to important information, like language, libraries and medical databases.
