Triple gold for Niagara College students at Skills Ontario
May 8, 2026
Coco the seal, Charlie the cardinal and Sam the bluebird may be robotic, but the comfort they bring to seniors living with dementia is very real. Research at Niagara College is helping care homes get the most out of these companions.
The “Fins, Feathers and Fur” project is the cornerstone of the College’s new Healthy Aging and Wellness Innovation Centre (HAWIC), part of NC’s Research and Innovation division.
Closing a training gap
Research Lead Christine Wilkinson, a longtime Recreation Therapy professor with expertise in dementia care, noticed that robotic animals, which can cost up to $9,000 each, arrive without clinical guidance. “The manual explains how to charge them, clean their fur and troubleshoot the technology, but it doesn’t explain how to use the robotic animal to engage with the residents,” she said.
Her team, working with students and local long-term care staff, developed a three-hour training program and toolkits that include planning tools, large-print fact books, conversation prompts, activity resources and visual memory supports.
Moments that matter
“I’ve seen staff members moved to tears because they’ve heard more words from a resident in one session with a robotic animal than they had in the previous month,” said Wilkinson.
The project is now adding robotic cats and dogs, a more familiar and affordable option, and the team is visiting care homes across Niagara to gather feedback from residents and staff.
Students at the heart of the research
Recreation Therapy graduates are already using what they learned. Matthew Bosnich joined HAWIC as a full-time Research Associate and helped present the project at the International Society for Gerontechnology conference. “It’s incredibly rewarding knowing that what I am working on goes back to actually making a difference in people’s lives,” he said.
HAWIC’s applied research is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through its Mobilize program. The centre has also applied for funding to take the study national and reach more diverse populations.
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