Realbotix Partners with Bloom to Launch UK Pilot Using Humanoid Robots to Address Social Isolation Among Older Brits

• Realbotix partnered with Bloom Procurement Services to pilot companion robots in care settings in Northeast England.
• The pilot will use robots to provide companionship, cognitive stimulation, emotional support and routine wellbeing check-ins for elderly residents, with Realbotix saying the systems are meant to supplement human caregivers, not replace them.
• Realbotix said the pilot will evaluate resident engagement, cognitive health indicators, staff feedback and effects on loneliness and quality of life, while its accreditation in Bloom’s marketplace provides a route to UK public sector contracts.

Realbotix announced it has partnered with Bloom Procurement Services to pilot companion robots in care settings in Northeast England.

The pilot will use robots to provide companionship, cognitive stimulation, emotional support and routine wellbeing check-ins for elderly residents, according to the Las Vegas company. Realbotix stressed the robots are designed to supplement human caregivers, not replace them.

“Aging populations and workforce shortages are driving demand for technologies that deliver genuine human connection,” Relbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel said in the annoucement. “Our partnership with Bloom gives us a strategic entry into UK public sector opportunities and advances our mission to deploy embodied AI for meaningful social impact.”

Realbotix indicated it has been accredited as a supplier in Bloom’s marketplace, creating a compliant route to UK public sector contracts.

The pilot will evaluate resident engagement, cognitive health indicators, staff feedback and the effect on loneliness and quality of life, according to Realbotix. The robots include natural conversation, eye contact, facial expressiveness and personalized interaction.

Realbotix said a successful pilot could create a pathway for broader adoption of its robotics and AI avatar platform across the UK public sector.