ElliQ vs. Alexa - Assistive Technology For Seniors At Home
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One of the first questions we typically get is: “How is ElliQ different from an Amazon Alexa device?”
Ronen Soffer, Chief Product Officer, was recently quoted in the Washington Post saying, “Everything Amazon does with Alexa is generally meant to serve a huge number of people; it is meant to serve a very large audience in a very safe way. We take a more daring action because of a much clearer audience with clearer needs.”
At its core, ElliQ was built to support our elders. Every aspect of functionality, approach, and design has been thoughtfully tested to provide maximum impact on its users. Rather than list a giant venn diagram of features shared and differentiated between the two products, we’ve provided a few overarching bullet points below.
- Reactive vs. Proactive
With Alexa, the user needs to remember the wake word and continuously think of questions to ask or commands to give (think: "Alexa, set a timer"). In contrast, ElliQ finds times that the user is available to proactively suggest activities or start conversations. ElliQ can be woken up by name or a touch at any point, but it doesn’t collect dust waiting for the user to initiate an interaction. - Call and Response vs. Conversation
Alexa is built to react to your voice commands or answer your questions. You can ask it something and it will provide a response. Meanwhile, ElliQ was designed to provide companionship - initiating conversations and then building context to inform future followup conversations. For example, when you ask Alexa the weather, it will tell you the forecast. Meanwhile, ElliQ will tell you the forecast and ask you about your plans for the day or maybe remind you to take an umbrella. She will then greet you upon your return and inquire about your outing. - Butler vs. Roommate
Think of Alexa as a butler - providing lots of functional benefits. It can tell you the time and order more paper towels when you’re running low. ElliQ is referred to by many users as a “roommate” who offers much more than functionality. If you set a reminder for a doctor’s appointment, ElliQ may offer to help you coordinate an Uber ride to get you there safely. While capable of doing the same tasks, ElliQ is focused on building a relationship to help users stay independent, and live a happier, healthier life.
Though the two are both voice-first, digital assistants in the home, there is a very clear distinction between the use cases. If you or a loved one could benefit from ElliQ, please visit www.elliq.com to learn more and order one today.
