Robot companions could help out with care for the elderly

Elderly people who live on their own could soon have a robot companion to help out thanks to a new project at the University of Hertfordshire.

Students there have been working on robots that could help us to stay in our homes as we age.

Now a state-of-the-art robot house has been set up to allow students from other universities to learn to programme the 'care robot'.

The robot house is open to all UK undergraduate and postgraduate students as part of the first ever UK National Robotics week.