Grace Brown, founder of Andromeda Robotics, and Manny Thu, chief commercial officer, discuss Abi’s development and potential roles in care with Dr. Louise Masara on NSW Health’s Future Health Podcast.
Brown says she began imagining a companion robot as a child and developed Abi during Melbourne’s COVID lockdowns. After months without in-person contact or a hug, she wanted to build something that could offer comfort and connection.
Abi is being trialed in nursing homes and children’s hospitals, where structured environments make early robot deployment more manageable. Brown and Thu see companionship as Abi’s foundation, with possible future roles including tutoring, health monitoring and helping carers stay on top of residents’ needs.
Brown describes Abi as a colorful, child-sized robot with expressive eyes, designed to feel approachable while remaining recognizably robotic. The team is exploring adjustable personalities and moods, and Abi can speak 90 languages to connect with residents who may return to their first language.
Abi stores interactions and recalls important details, which can help residents share stories without repeating them and give carers more room for other work. Brown says the company is exploring nonprofit and government partnerships to widen access, though pricing is still unsettled and Abi remains a prototype.
Brown says the team consults behavioral scientists, clinical psychologists and ethicists, with privacy, security and consent among the issues under review. The team also wants input from people who will use Abi, including children. Its five-year ambition includes adoption across care facilities and reducing the robot’s cost toward that of an iPhone.
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Grace Brown, founder and CEO of Andromeda, discusses building Abby as a socially intelligent humanoid companion deployed in nursing homes in Australia and the United States.
Grace Brown, co-founder and CEO of Andromeda Robotics, joins Dan Robbins on Tech Careers Hotline to discuss building Abby, a companion robot for aged care, and growing a robotics company.
Grace Brown, founder of Andromeda, and Maria Piechnik, co-founder of Wandelbots, discuss how robots are advancing, where they may help people, and what limits they still face with Ella Al-Shamahi on BBC World Service’s The Conversation.
