How a robot could be grandma’s new carer

With an ageing population and care costs rising, robots and smart homes may be a solution. But would you want a plastic dog to look after your loved ones?Sitting in a studio in Kensington, London, the designer Sebastian Conran walks me through a worst-case scenario. “Basically, what it’s looking for is a break in routine,” he explains, pointing to a drawing of an elderly woman, collapsed on the floor of her home. “There’s an event. The e-sensor in the room notices t