Bots give Oldies a Helping Hand

By Sarah Jane Scott

It is common knowledge that Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, a negative birth rate and a blossoming population of short, grey-haired people. This happens to be a key driver in Japans enormously lucrative robotic industry, which is churning out various robots called ‘care technology’.

Research has shown that elderly people need technology that can help them in their day-to-day lives, instead of pet robots like the Sony AIBO robotic dog. Last year, according to industry figures, the ‘care technology’ market was worth some $1.08 billion.

With a breakdown of family ties, senior citizens in Japan are not receiving traditional care provided by children and grandchildren, and this is where ‘care technology’ steps in.

Recently, the ‘power assist suit’ was demonstrated by Hiroi Tsukui from Kanagawa Institute of Technology. The suit is targeted at nursing homes and hospitals and, similar to the Hybrid Assistive Limb ‘The Hal’ created by Yoshiyuki Sankai, the suit makes it easier for caregivers to lift elderly people in and out of beds and wheelchairs.

The suits take 10 minutes to put on, weighs thirty kilos and bears a remarkable resemblance to Robocop. Once they are on, because of air pumped in to the suit, it does not feel heavier then a regular backpack and the person wearing it can pick up anything as heavy as 100 kilos.

Tokyo University of Science is currently developing this ‘robot suit’ concept into a ‘muscle suit’ which can be worn by the elderly themselves. The ‘muscle suit’ has artificial muscles made of elastic rubber and nylon and air pumps for arms. Powered by air pressure actuators the prototype suit looks like an oversized life jacket and is designed to give old people control over their own lives instead of relying on caregivers or their children. Associate professor at the university, Hiroshi Kobayashi, has however admitted that the suit, which weighs four kilos, still needs improvement before it is safe and accessible to elderly people.

Numerous other products have been designed to brighten up senior citizens so called ‘golden years’.

A wheelchair designed by TAO Aicle from Fujitsu Ltd. and Aisin Seiki Co. is able to travel to a preset destination automatically, using sensors to avoid obstacles and to stop at red lights.

Toyota Motor Corp.’s Welcab series owns the slogan ‘A car that’s more patient than your daughter’. Various easy-entry cars have been designed for people who have difficulty walking or are wheelchair bound.

Secom Co.’s ‘My Spoon’ feeding robot enables granny’s and grandpa’s to be electronically fed by a spoon and fork-fitted swiveling arm.

‘It’s all about empowering people to help themselves,’ developer Shigehisa Kobayashi, said. The robots are priced at $3.500 and over 300 have already been sold. ‘My Spoon’ is controlled by a joystick which can be operated by a person’s chin. At a home care and rehabilitation convention in Tokyo last week, Kobayashi demonstrated how easy it is to manoeuvre the electronic arm towards a piece of tofu, break a bite-size piece with the fork, and to return to a position in front of the mouth.

It is estimated that by 2050 nearly half of Japans population will be over the age of 65.

(Satirical Disclaimer) A recent demonstration of Fujatsu’s latest ‘care robot’ this week, in Tokyo, spurred a spate of concerns. Developed by Hiroi Nagasawa, the ‘wipe grannies bum’ robot is powered by water and uses air pressure to pivot a wheel attached to an electronic arm. Tskuka Ndwana, a member of the project, demonstrated how safe and uncomplicated the robot is to use. ‘It doesn’t feel like a robot’ he said ‘this feels so comfortable,bigeyeddeer and very human.’