'It really has been embraced': Oakville funeral home using robot to help loved ones take part in services

LOCAL : NEWS

By David Lea





A robot that was introduced at an Oakville funeral home to let people say a more meaningful goodbye to their loved ones will probably be sticking around after the pandemic ends.

In January the funeral services company, Arbor Memorial, initiated a pilot program at Glen Oaks Funeral Home & Cemetery that saw a telepresence robot made available for funerals.

Don Clarke, the managing funeral director at Glen Oaks, said the robot’s purpose is to help people unable to attend due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions still actively participate in the service.

“We were doing livestream, but that didn’t let the people who were online take part,” he said.

“The robot changed that.”

Clarke admits he had some concerns when Glen Oaks’ parent company informed him about the robot project.

He said he envisioned something like C-3PO from Star Wars and wondered whether that would be well received in a funeral setting.

Instead, the robot turned out to be more like, what Clarke described as, ‘an IPAD with a set of wheels on it.’

He noted people not able to attend a funeral can take control of the robot and move it about the room.

The robot’s camera lets the operator see in-person mourners so you can approach them and pay your respects.

The robot’s screen also shows those in attendance a live image of the operator’s face, something Clarke said is important as those present can see the operator’s facial expressions and emotions.

Clarke noted a loved one can even use the robot to give a eulogy, or they can have the robot approach the casket so they can have one last look at the departed.

The robot has so far been used at more than a dozen funerals at Glen Oaks with the families involved reportedly responding favourably.

“It really has been embraced,” said Clarke.

“People who were going to type out a word document so another person could read a eulogy for them at the service have been able to do it themselves…One comment we got was that because of the robot ‘I couldn’t be there, but I was there.’ You really can remove the distance.”

Clarke said there is no charge for the robot to participate in a funeral service.

He also emphasized it is only used at a funeral service if the family consents.

“It’s funny. When you first talk about it some people look at you and say, ‘This is a little futuristic,' ” said Clarke.

“In some cases, they go home, they talk about it and then you get the phone call back and they say, ‘You know what? That really sounds like a solution to a problem we’ve had on how do people from a distance participate in this service instead of just watching it.' ”

Clarke said the robot has been so well received he expects Arbor Memorial will invest in it at which point telepresence robots will be available at all of the company’s funeral homes across Canada in the not-too-distant future.

He noted that even when COVID-19 gathering restrictions are lifted there will still be people unable to attend a loved one’s funeral because they live in another country or can’t get time off work and can benefit from the services the robot can provide.

Oakville

                                                                           
                        



'It really has been embraced': Oakville funeral home using robot to help loved ones take part in services
https://www.dailyadvent.com/news/df1344a0f7adef77b1220370ef7efc55-It-really-has-been-embraced-Oakvil...