For some older adults, a robotic cat or dog may be more than a toy. It may offer a new opportunity for engagement and social interaction, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health pilot study.
Led by Steven M. Albert, PhD, emeritus professor of behavioral and community health sciences at Pitt Public Health, the study found that older adults receiving family caregiver support showed an increase in positive affect after receiving a low-cost robotic pet. The research earned a Bronze Award in the 2026 Innovative Research on Aging Awards from Mather Institute.
The study grew out of a partnership with the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, which had purchased robotic pets for older adults receiving its services. Albert saw an opportunity for students in his evaluation seminar to investigate whether the pets could improve mood and engagement.
The research team included Pitt Public Health undergraduate students Austin Wellhoefer and Teddy Swift, Pitt School of Nursing graduate student Lisa Nagy and Shannah Gilliam, PhD, director of the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging.
The study involved 50 older adults and their family caregivers in Allegheny County. Half were randomized to receive a Joy for All robotic pet at the beginning of the approximately four-week study, while the other half received one at the end. The pets, which resemble cats and dogs, respond to touch with movements and sounds.
After about a month, caregivers reported an increase in positive affect among older adults who received the pets compared with those in the control group. The study did not find a significant difference in negative affect. Nearly three-quarters of caregivers who commented on their family member's experience reported positive engagement with the pet.
For Albert, the finding may have less to do with the robot itself than with the opportunity it creates for engagement.
“It’s an engagement tool,” he says. “That’s the right way to think about it.”
One caregiver told the researchers that her mother didn’t really play with the robot, but became excited when someone entered the room because she could show them how it worked.
The idea has parallels with the role of therapy animals.
“Pet therapy is a well acknowledged, beneficial modality,” Albert says. “There’s something about a pet that is very reassuring to people and improves their mood.”
While a robotic pet cannot replace a live animal, it may offer opportunities for companionship and engagement to people who cannot care for a pet. The Joy for All pets cost about $130 and require little maintenance.
The study was small and relied on caregivers to report their family members' moods. Researchers also don't know exactly what produced the improvement in positive affect.
“You'd really like to compare the instrumented pet to a stuffed animal that's not instrumented or to an indoor plant or social visiting program,” Albert says. “What exactly about having the pet in your living room did have this benefit is not so clear.”
Still, Albert says the findings point to the importance of considering the environments in which older adults spend their time.
“This reinforces the need to think about people's home environments,” he says. “We may not be able to stem the course of dementia, but we can provide additional stimulation and also retreat from stimulation as appropriate in the environment.”
-Clare Collins