# Against loneliness, older New Yorkers interact with their ElliQ companion 48 times a day

> The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) is extending its partnership with Intuition Robotics, which supplies the ElliQ companion to older people at risk of loneliness.

Published on 2026-10-10

According to the programme's new data, participants interact with ElliQ 48 times a day on average. Reports from previous years counted 29.

According to the same data, 94% of participants say they feel less lonely and 97% report better overall well-being.

The programme began in 2022. Since then, several hundred older people in the state have received ElliQ. Demand is growing: more than 3,500 people applied in 2025 alone.

Greg Olsen, director of NYSOFA, calls ElliQ an essential tool against what he calls a “loneliness epidemic”.

Dor Skuler, CEO and co-founder of Intuition Robotics, describes a companion that remembers the person, checks in on them every morning and encourages them to go for a walk or call their daughter.

## Sources

- [Robotics & Automation News](https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2026/10/10/new-york-extends-ai-companion-program-in-partnership-with-intuition-robotics/105806/)

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