Robots specializing in home healthcare can provide companionship and help lessen the isolation of elderly people in remote areas, according to a pioneering New Zealand study released on Monday.

Auckland University researchers tested robots in the rural homes of five independent elderly people for three months in what they claimed was the first study of its type.

Some participants enjoyed hearing their robot talk and interact with them, while others liked the fact that the robot's reminded them to take their medicine on time, said senior researcher Dr Elizabeth Broadbent.