If you are over 60 and have no one to take care of you, but you don’t want to go to an old-age home, and instead want to live in your own home, then you are not alone in thinking like this. A study conducted in South Korea in October 2025 says that more than 95% of the elderly always prefer to spend their age in the same house where they have lived for decades due to psychological benefits. South Korea has one of the fastest aging populations and last year it became a ‘super-aged society’. But what about those people whose children have moved to other cities or abroad or moved out of your house after marriage? ‘Codi’ will take his place. Wondering who ‘Cody’ is? So read further. While we humans can give birth to children in a few months, who then grow up and take care of us, it took almost three years for ‘Cody’s parents to bring him into the world. The idea of ’Kodi’ came from the minds of Chris Cudia and Ben Goertzel to promote human connection. ‘Cody’ has a smiling face, although his bright brown eyes may make you uneasy. His three feet frame, friendly facial expressions coupled with a mischievous smile make him easy going. Yes, he is a humanoid robot from ‘Mind Children’, a company based in Seattle, USA. On June 11, he gave an interview to an American newspaper. He was asked what was in front of him. In a child-like voice he immediately said, ‘A workplace with screens, where there are some notes and everyday things.’ It looks like a classic lab setup, which seems like a good place to bring ideas to life.’ Although today he cannot even lift a cup of tea, he is confident that in the next 10 years he will be able to do not only this but much more. ‘Maybe by then I’ll even be able to open the elevator doors,’ he says. Its co-founders are also confident that this robot will become a part of schools, hospitals, hotels and homes. Will help people learn, connect and feel less lonely. But the co-founders believe that before that ‘Kodi’ will have to overcome many obstacles. The ‘Mind Children’ company has started crowdfunding for the next phase of its development. She hopes to make it affordable enough for single adults to buy once it launches. Whenever such new technology comes in the market, initially it becomes a toy of very rich people. Today some home robots are being sold for 20 thousand dollars, but the co-founders want the price of ‘Codi’ to be only 10 thousand dollars. Both are confident that they are very close to using ‘Codi’ in a way where it can take care of the elderly and fight their loneliness. Its pilot study is going on in hotels and art galleries, so that the necessary data can be collected for its development. Then in 2027, a second version of ‘Kodi’ will be prepared. In a world where humanoid machines are growing faster than the world can comprehend, it would not be surprising to see robots like ‘Cody’ being gifted to childless parents or childless people in the coming years. ‘Cody’ is already better at making eye-to-eye contact and responding to emotional situations. He also understands the surrounding environment. After a few more steps, he can become your ‘step son’ to take care of for the rest of his life. Its co-founders can tell how soon this will happen. Just 10 years ago, had we ever imagined that a Rs 25,000 ‘Roomba’ machine would replace the maids who sweep and mop our homes? Today Roomba is present in modern urban homes, even middle-class families. Maids are now earning more by becoming cooks and machines are doing their work without any complaint at any time of the day. The bottom line is that modern machines are becoming intelligent enough to fill the void created by humans. But will they be able to meet our emotional needs as well? Only time will answer.
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N. Raghuraman’s Column: Someday ‘Kodi’ will be a part of the everyday life of many elderly people
