Meet the Robot That’s Replacing Loneliness with Laughter in Elderly Homes

Abi, a bubble-blowing humanoid robot created by Melbourne-based startup Andromeda Robotics, is transforming elderly care by bringing empathy and companionship to residents in aged care homes.

Standing just over a meter tall, Abi is designed not to replace caregivers, but to complement them, especially as Australia faces a projected shortage of over 110,000 aged care workers by 2030, according to CEDA.

Equipped with facial recognition, conversational AI, and multilingual capabilities in 90 languages, Abi does more than entertain. She remembers past interactions, engages in singing, dancing, storytelling, and even tai chi.

Her personality adapts based on the needs of users, from light-hearted and witty to compassionate and calm, including special modes for dementia patients. She also features a whimsical touch: the ability to blow bubbles from her robotic arm.

Developed in collaboration with aged care professionals and backed by $3 million in seed funding, Abi is already active in multiple facilities and children’s hospitals.

Andromeda plans to expand to 100 sites by mid-2026. The company is also developing a next-generation model, ‘Gabi’, set to launch in September 2025.