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Held on Friday, 17 April, the event recognised the successful deployment of 22 Abi companion robots across mecwacare’s residential aged care homes in Victoria, where they are now supporting more than 1,500 residents through meaningful social interaction and companionship.
For mecwacare CEO Anne McCormack, the impact Abi is already having on residents has been profound.
“Our residents see Abi as part of the circle of care and our staff refer to Abi as our Happiness Assistant. She’s lifting moods, reducing physical, social and linguistic isolation, encouraging connection and helping people express themselves in ways that feel natural and comfortable. For families, seeing their loved ones laughing and engaging is incredibly powerful.”
Developed by Andromeda Robotics in partnership with mecwacare, Abi has been introduced as an innovative companion designed to enhance wellbeing, particularly for residents living with dementia or those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
From singing and storytelling to dancing and speaking in residents’ preferred languages, Abi creates moments of joy and connection throughout the day. She can speak up to 90 languages, remember residents she has met and engage in more responsive real-time conversations, helping residents feel recognised and supported.
Grace Brown, Co-founder and CEO of Andromeda Robotics, said the partnership with mecwacare had created a new model for compassionate care.
“We designed Abi to address the real and growing problem of loneliness and social isolation. We’re proud to achieve this milestone with mecwacare, who share our goal of using innovative technology to support aged care residents in ways that are personal, social and deeply human.”
The rollout comes at an important time for the aged care sector, with providers facing increasing workforce pressures alongside rising rates of dementia and social isolation.
Abi has been developed specifically for aged care settings, with features including dementia-friendly communication, improved eye-level engagement, enhanced audio for older hearing profiles, and navigation technology that allows her to move safely through care environments.
The response from residents and staff has already been overwhelmingly positive, with early feedback showing improvements in resident mood, wellbeing and engagement.
For one resident at mecwacare Wahroonga, Abi’s visit was described as “the best part of my day,” bringing music, laughter and connection even while bed-bound.
The milestone celebrated at John Hood Terrace reflects mecwacare’s commitment to embracing innovation that strengthens connection and enhances quality of life for residents — ensuring technology supports care in ways that remain deeply human.
Feature image (left to right): Andromeda Co-founder and CTO Yan Chen, mecwacare General Manager IT Transformation Kendall Kilbride, mecwacare CEO Anne McCormack and Andromeda CCO Brian McCarthy
