Actually, TFA was studying the effectiveness of OTC cough medications on relieving the *symptom* (i.e. coughing), and found that none of them did better than a placebo at making the patients cough less. So might as well stick with the hot water with lemon and honey (and preferably rum) - tastes better and works just as well.

Maybe because the psychological benefits extend beyond accompanying the dog twice daily to the toilet? It is actually possible to spend time with the dog indoors as well. And having a dog-walking robot would enable people like me to actually get to experience some of those benefits. I won't even consider having a dog now, since it would be stuck inside the house alone for 9-10 hours a day, but if there were a robot to take it for walks and keep it company, it might be a possibility. (I figure that if toddlers see robots as peers, dogs will probably be ok with them too...)