In the future, the elderly could be reminded to take medication by a computerized pet. The Pill Pets are brightly coloured, cuddly toys made of silicon, with a computerised screen that gives instructions on taking medication,

For the Pill Pets to survive, they have to be told their reminders to take medication are being acted on.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Ageing Lab in Boston hope this will cause people to form an emotional bond with the pets, making them more likely to obey the reminders.