# Development of Ryan Companion Robot for Assisting Elderly People with Alzheimer's Disease

> **NIH NIH R44** · DREAM FACE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC · 2020 · $767,891

## Abstract

The objective of the proposed Fast-Track SBIR effort is to develop and commercialize the Ryan CompanionBot
(hereafter, Ryan), an intelligent conversational life-like social robot, designed to improve the well-being and
quality of life of older adults with early stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementia (ADRD).
According to the NIA, research reports estimate that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have AD, and the
number is expected to rise as the population ages. Common symptoms of AD/ADRD include cognitive decline,
short-term memory loss, changes in mood, depression, communication difficulties, lost interest in hobbies or
activities, and repetitive behavior. Americans suffering from AD/ADRD are believed to cost the nation $236
billion annually with projected annual costs of over $1 trillion by 2050. Traditional methods for disease
management have shown limited success treating AD/ADRD or mitigating its symptoms. Health care personnel
and caregivers who are physically and emotionally taxed are seeking new ways to provide care for elderly
individuals and particularly those suffering from AD/ADRD. Innovative technologies such as Artificial
Intelligence, Robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, have begun to alleviate the growing need for novel
solutions to the healthcare. Among such technologies, socially assistive robots such as Ryan have received a
great amount of attention in recent years. Ryan will be designed to promote social interaction and foster
engagement and rapport, and improve mood and well-being of persons with early stage AD/ADRD.
In the Phase I effort, we will develop facial emotion recognition technology and integrate it with Ryan and then
conduct a pilot study to understand the feasiblity and effectiveness of Ryan in fostering empathy and rapport in
interaction with persons with AD/ADRD. Once validated, we will work with domain experts to design and build
aestehcically pleasing Ryan V2.0 and integrate the facial expression recognition technology with a spoken-
dialog system, reminders, and other intelligent features into Ryan to address the needs of persons with early
stage AD/ADRD and their caregivers. If successful, DreamFace will be positioned to bring to market an
affordable and effective socially-assistive robot to improve the quality of life for persons with AD/ADRD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984218
- **Project number:** 5R44AG059483-03
- **Recipient organization:** DREAM FACE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Eshrat S Emamian
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $767,891
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984218

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984218, Development of Ryan Companion Robot for Assisting Elderly People with Alzheimer's Disease (5R44AG059483-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984218. Licensed CC0.

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