iRobot CiCi Could Take Care of Grandma

iRobot is developing an elder care robot named CiCi who could help monitor grandma (or grandpa, I suppose) and alert doctors, etc., if there is something wrong.
The idea, of course, is to help keep elderly people at home on their own longer before having to go to expensive and impersonal assisted living or hyper-expensive and depressing nursing homes, an area sure to be highly competitive and highly lucrative as the Baby Boom generation ages. I could also see this being used somewhat in assisted living facilities to cut down on the number of human nurses needed to make the rounds. Colin Angle has spoken about developing elder care robots many times in the past, so it is not a new idea, but it is news that iRobot actually has developed a prototype and has displayed it at least once.
Mass High Tech's Ryan McBride broke the story last week. (Thanks, azimganj and jsrn)
The company so far has refused to comment about it (beyond confirming that there is such a robot named CiCi), and regardless, it would probably be another couple of years before iRobot actually unveils a product that is ready for prime time. Angle said last year that he thought it would be 2009 before the robotics industry puts out products in the magical $1,000 price range. (You can find much more expensive robotic companions right now, although Korean robotics makers and others are working to pump out cheaper versions as we speak.) Whether grandma really WANTS a robot helper is another question entirely, although Angle has argued that products like its breakthrough Roomba robotic vacuum already qualify as elder care assistance, given that some buyers are elderly, disabled or both and don't want to or are no longer able to vacuum as often or as thoroughly as they would like (under the beds, etc.).
iRobot for now is publicly focusing on the upcoming but presumably more limited ConnectR product, which could allow folks to check up on grandma via its built-in camera at a presumably much cheaper $499 price point. (I, frankly, would be worried about grandma tripping on said ConnectR, shattering her hip and dying!) Memo to iRobot: Maybe make ConnectR about 4 feet tall, but still lightweight, to avoid this? I frankly love the $1,800 Giraffe concept.