Winnipeg Free Press By: Malak Abas | Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, May. 19, 2021 Last Modified: 7:28 PM CDT Wednesday, May. 19, 2021 | Updates Can robots curb human loneliness and boost mental health? A team of Winnipeg researchers is hoping to find out. A 10-week study from the University of Manitoba’s human computer interactions lab will look at the impact of a social robot on a person’s mental health. The study will use people living alone who self-identify as lonely but have not been diagnosed with a serious mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. Participants will live with a robot dog for eight weeks, while completing questionnaires and conducting interviews with researchers about the experience and its impact on their mental health.