Robots to Help the Elderly
Japan has the second oldest population in the world (after Italy). Some 25% of the population is over the age of 65. Also, this year, the population of Japan declined for the first time. The aging society is becoming a major problem in Japan. So it’s nice to hear stories like this one.
Tokyo University (known colloquially as “Todai”) and a consortium of seven companies will work together over the next 10-15 years to develop robots (yes, robots! Hurray for robots!) aimed at helping Japan’s elderly population.
The project is expected to cost up to 1 billion yen and it is hoped that there will be robots to do light cleaning, stack shelves and even carry people through busy intersections. Because Japan’s workforce is shrinking, it is hoped that these robots will take on the unwanted tasks of the greying population, as well as providing basic care.
The technology is excpected to be used in other areas as well. Yay! Soon I’ll have a robot to clean my room!
Link:
Pink Tentacle
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