JAPAN-ASSIST ROBOT Robot to give the elderly a 'lift'

Record ID: 401936

  • Title: JAPAN-ASSIST ROBOT Robot to give the elderly a 'lift'
  • Date: 6th October 2014
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (RECENT) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING AROUND HEALTH CARE AND REHABILITATION EXPO SIGN THAT READS (English): "PANASONIC" PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH CROWDS PANASONIC STAFF USING ASSIST ROBOT PANASONIC STAFF PUTTING ON JACKET TO USE ASSIST ROBOT PANASONIC STAFF BEING LIFTED UP BY ROBOT ROBOT ROLLING AWAY PANASONIC AGE FREE BUSINESS UNIT COUNCILLOR, NORIYUKI SHIKATA, BEIN
  • Embargoed: 21st October 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABG42BGCEZPIK1CY696KPVBGDW
  • Story Text: Panasonic is looking to use robotic assistance to keep Japan's elderly population on their feet for longer as the population ages.
    According to the United Nations the number of elderly people will more than double over the next 40 years while the number of younger people to care for them will decline significantly.
    It's that statistic which has inspired Panasonic's latest creation - 'the assist robot'. Panasonic's Noriyuki Shikata says the robot is designed to aid the elderly by keeping them on their feet.
    "One someone starts wearing diapers then they slowly become confined to bed. This is designed to get rid of that. This robot will allow people to actually get up and use the toilet," said Shikata, Panasonic's "Age-Free" business unit councillor.
    The robot literally lifts people up. A user wears a vest which the robot attaches itself to. Using sensors, the system detects when the user is trying to stand and provides the support and additional power to do so.
    Shikata says that demand for caretaker robots is on the rise and that Panasonic plans on developing a series of robotic helpers in the years to come. He says that in Japan these types of machines will be essential as the population ages.
    "By 2025 it's said that the elderly population will be 30% and in contrast to that there will be a lack of around 100,000 people to actually care for them. We hope to develop robots that can fill that role," he said.
    Shikata says the 'assist robot' is an important step in that direction.

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