Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

Facing a rising elderly population, and a dwindling workforce, nursing homes in Japan have started to turn to robots as a solution. Since 2015, the Japanese government has spent over $45 million towards research and development towards the use of robotics in over 5,000 nursing homes. So far, the program has yielded such inventions as “Mamoru-no”, a monitoring device that tracks movement, heartbeat, and breathing patterns of people in bed, and sends data to a caregiver’s personal computer; “Pepper”, a humanoid robot designed to interpret emotions through its cameras and micophones; and “Resyone,” an electronic nursing bed that ‘transforms’ into a wheelchair. While these devices will not substitute for hands-on care, they can provide assistance to nursing home workers, and help lift the morale of both residents and employees. You can check out these devices here: https://www.reuters.com/articl…