Could a chatty flowerpot robot reduce caregiver dependence?

NCT ID NCT06592404

Disease control Sponsor: Academy Het Dorp Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jul 02, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether a small social robot named Tessa can help people with disabilities who have trouble planning and remembering daily tasks. Participants use the robot in their home, and researchers track how much professional caregiver support they need. The goal is to see if the robot boosts independence and is cost-effective.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Robot Tessa (a small flowerpot-shaped robot that speaks reminders)
What this could lead to: If effective, this robot could help people with disabilities become more independent and reduce the need for professional caregiver support.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage study with only 32 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The robot's reminders may not work for everyone or could be ignored over time.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

32 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2023

Finished

Sep 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age: ≥18 years * Living in an inpatient long-term disability care facility * Participant 1) has difficulty with planning and structuring and/or remembering tasks, appointments, and activities, and/or 2) needs outside activation to execute tasks, appointments, and activities * Able to understand verbal instructions and willing to follow these * Cognitive capacity to, together with their professional caregiver, set goals to work on with the social robot * Motivated to work with the social robot on 3-5 goals, for which the participant receives daily or weekly guidance in their home * Professional caregivers are motivated to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Prone to express tension in physical aggression * Highly sensitive to auditory stimuli

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autism spectrum disorder brain injury dementia pugilistica Down syndrome intellectual disability

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Autism spectrum disorder Brain injury, chronic Down syndrome Intellectual disability, mild to moderate

Could a chatty flowerpot robot reduce caregiver dependence?

What the study statuses mean