Mary Derr, 93, holds her robot cat she calls "Buddy" as she talks to it in her home she shares with her daughter Jeanne Elliott in South Kingstown, R.I. Derr has mild dementia, and Elliott purchased a "Joy for All" robotic cat earlier this year to keep her mother company. Source: AP Photo/Stephan Savoia Toymaker Hasbro and scientists from Brown University have been awarded a three-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to determine how to add artificial intelligence (AI) to a robotic companion cat already on the market.

Intended as a companion cat for the elderly, the robot, called “Joy for All,” can already mimic a living cat with the ability to purr, meow, lick its paws and roll over.

However, by infusing the robotic cat with artificial intelligence, researchers hope to make it possible for the cat to perform simple tasks such as finding eyeglasses that have gone missing or reminding an elderly relative that it is time to take their medications or of an upcoming appointment.

Scientists believe that by offering assistance with these seemingly small tasks, the robotic cat will help keep senior citizens living at home longer and help to stave off feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression.

"It's not going to iron and wash dishes," said Bertram Malle, a professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences at Brown. "Nobody expects them to have a conversation. Nobody expects them to move around and fetch a newspaper. They're really good at providing comfort."

The team hopes to keep the price tag of the AI model close to the price tag of the current model, which costs $100.