My father and I shared thousands of meals, but some were special: Thursdays.
Every Thursday, we used to go to his favorite restaurant to have paella, and next to it, there was a real parrot he adored. We had to greet him when we arrived and when we left because it was his moment of happiness. His face when the parrot said hello was like that of a child at Disney.
He had dementia for the last 3 years, and I took care of him obsessively, buying all kinds of devices to make both our lives a bit easier, allowing him to continue living at home. When he was hospitalized and had little time left, something neither of us knew, one night he asked me to buy him a parrot for companionship. I spent the entire night thinking about how I could fulfill his wish.
The idea came to me to create a parrot with artificial intelligence and emotional computing. This parrot would be equipped with a camera and a thermometer, capable of reminding my father when to take his medications, monitor his temperature, detect falls, and perform cognitive exercises, among other functions—everything I couldn't control with all the gadgets on the market during the last 3 years.
After confirming the project's viability with an outstanding engineering laboratory in Barcelona, I created Onorato. That's the name my father gave it when I told him, "Now you have YOUR parrot," a company dedicated to artificial intelligence, focused on creating this parrot for international distribution.
Although my father is no longer here to enjoy Onorato, millions of people worldwide can benefit from it. He left me with a task: create Onorato to ensure that our elderly can continue living at home until the end, safe and happy.
Thanks, Dad. This one's for you, always for you.