Robots help elderly when humans cannot

Cinncinati
Posted: 2007-12-20 18:24:44

If you grow old in Japan, expect to be served food by a robot, ride a voice-recognition wheelchair or even possibly hire a nurse in a robotic suit - all examples of cutting-edge technology to care for the country's graying population.

With nearly 22 percent of Japan's people aged 65 or older, businesses have been rolling out everything from easy-entry cars to remote-controlled beds, fueling a care-technology market worth $1.08 billion in 2006, according to industry figures.

At a home care and rehabilitation convention in Tokyo, buyers crowded around a demonstration of Secom's feeding robot, which helps elderly or disabled people eat with a spoon- and fork-fitted swiveling arm.

Operating a joystick with his chin, developer Shigehisa Kobayashi maneuvered the arm toward a block of tofu, deftly getting the fork to break off a piece. The arm then returned to a preprogrammed position in front of the mouth, allowing Kobayashi to bite.

"It's all about empowering people to help themselves," Kobayashi said. The company has already sold 300 robots, which are $3,500.

The weakening of family ties in recent years means a growing number of older Japanese are spending their golden years away from the care traditionally provided by children and grandkids.

That's where technology steps in.

A rubber and nylon "muscle suit" developed by the Tokyo University of Science helps keep the elderly active by providing support for the upper body, arms and shoulders.

Powered by air pressure actuators, the suit - which looks like an oversized life jacket - provides subtle backing to help older people lift heavy objects.

The intelligent wheelchair TAO Aicle from Fujitsu and Aisin Seiki Co. uses a positioning system to automatically travel to a preset destination, and it uses sensors to detect and stop at red lights and to avoid obstacles.

Another wheelchair designed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology responds to oral commands.

And there's help for caregivers, too.

A full-body robotic suit developed by the Kanagawa Institute of Technology is a massive contraption powered by 22 air pumps to help nurses hoist patients. Sensors attached to the user's skin detect when muscles are trying to lift something heavy and signal to the air pumps to kick in to provide support.

"It doesn't feel at all like I'm being lifted by a robot," a tester said. "This feels so comfortable and very human."