INDUSTRY · OCT 13, 2026
New York signs a $2.1 million, 3 year deal to bring ElliQ companion robots to more seniors
The state Office for the Aging extended its partnership with Intuition Robotics. In 2026 program data, 94% of users said they feel less lonely.
By Riley Hart · 2 sources linked below
If you are looking at a robot for an aging parent, a companion like ElliQ is a different product from a chore robot. Check whether your state runs a free program before buying, since New York, Wisconsin, Florida and Washington all have partnerships.
The New York State Office for the Aging, known as NYSOFA, signed a new three year agreement worth $2.1 million with Intuition Robotics, the maker of the ElliQ companion robot. The Robot Report reported the deal on October 13, 2026.
The program launched in 2022 to reach older New Yorkers at risk of loneliness and isolation. Hundreds of people have received ElliQ through it, and more than 3,500 older adults applied in 2025 alone.
ElliQ is a tabletop companion, not a mobile robot. It talks with users, checks in every day, suggests walks or calls to family, and remembers details from past conversations to use later.
NYSOFA's 2026 program data reports that 94% of users feel less lonely, 97% report better overall wellbeing and 92% find ElliQ useful. Users average 48 interactions a day, up from 29 in earlier reports.
These figures come from the program's own user surveys, not from an independent clinical trial.
Intuition Robotics, founded in 2016 and based in Ramat Gan, Israel, runs similar state programs in Wisconsin, Florida and Washington. The Washington program is aimed at Medicaid recipients.
State contracts like this one are one of the first large scale paths for home robots into American households, with the government paying instead of families.