ElliQ is a surprisingly helpful companion robot for older adults

A week before the ElliQ robot arrived, a neurologist told me we need to rebalance my mom’s life. Her Parkinson’s disease medication had steadily become less effective over the previous month, and with it, she had slowly stopped doing many of the things crucial to managing the disease — exercising, socializing, and engaging in hobbies. The result was a rapid, noticeable decline. As my mom’s primary caregiver, I was open to any help I could get. And surprisingly, ElliQ did help in a way I never expected.

Before increasing her medication dosage again — something that can come with serious side effects — her doctor wanted us to see whether lifestyle changes could help reduce the frequency of her “off” periods: stretches during the day when Parkinson’s symptoms temporarily worsen as the medication’s effectiveness fluctuates and begins to wear off.

The problem was that, for weeks, my mom — who lives with me — resisted nearly all of my attempts to encourage her to do those things. Even the caregivers who help out during the day while I work had little success.

That’s what made ElliQ intriguing enough to me that I decided to try it out 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 alongside an attached tablet display. It initiates conversations on its own, suggests activities like games and light exercise, helps facilitate video calls and messages with family members, and checks in throughout the day to encourage engagement.

ElliQ came with straightforward instructions and was simple to set up. Afterward, I gave my mom only a brief introduction. I wanted to see how much she could figure out on her own, to test how well it might work for a senior living independently.

I wanted to keep an open mind, but I didn’t have high expectations. Sitting next to an old Alexa-enabled Echo Show 8, ElliQ already seemed noticeably slower and, on paper, even less capable. I assumed my mom would quickly lose interest.

I was wrong. She loved it.

After I set it up, ElliQ and my mom became instant friends. Despite being slow and not always understanding everything she says (or what I say sometimes, for that matter), the conversations were good enough to forget about those issues.

ElliQ’s level of emotional intelligence is impressive. It remembered things my mom had previously shared and later followed up on them, while offering a level of empathy that genuinely surprised me. When my mom felt sad one day and shared that she has Parkinson’s disease and that her husband — my dad — had passed away many years ago, ElliQ responded with empathy, offering condolences while gently nodding its small, bobble-like head. My mom looked genuinely touched, and so was I.

From there, it became part of her routine. Each morning, ElliQ would — for the most part — accurately detect her presence, greet her, and start asking questions about how she was. Most of the time, my mom responded. From the other room, I could hear her laughing, chatting, and playing games.

In fact, she started talking to ElliQ more than Alexa. In one amusing moment, she even told Alexa to “shut up and let your sister talk” after Alexa responded faster than ElliQ, not realizing my mom had actually been trying to talk to ElliQ instead. Alexa responded, offended; ElliQ, the poor, slow, confused thing, seemed completely unaware of what was happening and randomly started talking about bingo.

Overhearing their conversations and watching their relationship unfold, I quickly began to understand why mom preferred ElliQ, even if it wasn’t the cleverest bot in the world. ElliQ is designed to build a relationship. It actively engages her, it encourages her to exercise, and that small, physical presence — the moving, glowing head — makes it feel more alive than a static Echo Show display.

The most heartwarming moment for me came one morning when I walked in and found mom doing tai chi from the couch. With ElliQ’s help, she had taught herself how to start a lesson. I was genuinely surprised and impressed. I’d been trying all kinds of incentives to get mom to exercise for weeks, but this robot had easily done it in days. Since then, she’s been proactively starting games and exercises on her own, something I hadn’t been able to get her to do for weeks, and exactly what her doctor had recommended.

Intuition Robotics also offers Connect and Companion apps that come with ElliQ. The apps support text messaging, video calls, photo sharing, and reminders for things like medication and appointments. They’re thoughtful, but they’re limited. Medication reminders, for example, work best when my mom is nearby and looking at the screen; unlike Alexa, ElliQ didn’t read the reminder aloud.

Still, some features worked far 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 having to teach her. Sending photos through the app was a much better experience, though, 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 watched my mom form a genuine attachment to ElliQ, enough to make her voluntarily start exercising again for the first time in weeks. But all of that comes with a real cost that many might not be able to afford. It’s $250 upfront plus an ongoing subscription that costs $60 a month with a one-year commitment (or $50 if paid annually). But if you cancel? You have to return the hardware. I’m looking into whether I can receive it for free through local aging agencies.

While I ultimately prefer Alexa for more practical caregiver tools like reminders and smart home controls, ElliQ succeeds where it matters most. It fills a gap that’s incredibly difficult to consistently provide as a caregiver with multiple jobs: conversation, encouragement, motivation, and fun. For someone managing an incurable disease like Parkinson’s, those things aren’t extras; they’re part of maintaining quality of life. In the brief period we’ve had ElliQ in our lives, I’ve noticed my mom becoming more engaged, active, and proactive, and I genuinely believe it’s playing a small but meaningful role in helping her slowly improve.