Robotic or animatronic pets — there also are dogs that bark and wag their tails ... a social scientist and senior research fellow at Tampere University in Finland who studies aging.

Kang worked with the Broome County Office for Aging in New York to recruit patients for the study, in which 45 people with symptoms of depression received a robotic cat or dog during a home visit.

For a dementia patient, holding a robotic dog or cat can provide soothing moments as loss of memory and other mental ...

The small but mighty Bittle X by Petoi can respond to voice commands, performing over 35 predefined actions such as sit, play ...