Japan- Robots as Caregivers for Frail Parents?
Aging Japan Deploys Service Robots in Elder Care; Will We, Too?
Sep 29, 2009
Japan’s response to the caregiving challenges of an aging society in past years has led it in a unique direction: investment in robotic technology for eldercare. With greater longevity, an increase in Alzheimer's and other conditions of aging, there simply won't be enough young people in Japan to do the many tasks of caregiving.
The US, too, is a rapidly aging society. American researchers at cutting-edge institutions such as MIT and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst are also developing US-based robotic products for eldercare.
But Japan leads the robotics arms race, and the fruits of that rapidly-aging nation's investment in robotic caregiving applications are fascinating as possible harbingers of the future for an aging America. Japan's solutions to aging are quite different, from, say, Sweden's investment in human resources.
Robotic Pets Help Caregivers with Eldercare
Pet therapy is a proven technique for alleviating feelings of isolation among institutionalized patients.
And, of course, robotic pets are safer, cleaner and more predictable in pet therapy programs than flesh-and-blood cats or dogs.
So, it's not surprising that researchers have discovered that robotic pets are clinically useful with frail patients in nursing homes.
A furry robotic pet harp seal called Paro developed by the Japanese company Shibata coos when treated gently. It also squeals angrily if handled roughly. It recognizes its owner's voice and gestures.
It's cute and interesting enough to elicit an emotional response, according to studies. Researchers at Tsukuba University in Japan's Ibaraki Prefecture found that Paro—like pets in traditional pet therapies —helped reduce stress, depression, and feelings of isolation among nursing home patients.
The robot pet was found to be useful not just in Japan, but also in Italy, Sweden and the US.
Electronics giant Matsushita has also introduced robotic pets for disabled older patients in institutions. Their robots look like teddy bears or cats. And, if talked to, they talk back. These “pet bots” are used to keep the patients company. Meanwhile, they serve a monitoring function, too. They record patient response times during simple conversations powered by voice-recognition software. When the robot says “good morning,” if the patient does not reply, that fact will be relayed to the nurses’ station, triggering a personal visit.
Long-distance Robotic Caregiving Opens Lines of Communication with Frail Elderly
Japanese baby boomers who live far from their parents yet want to keep an eye on an elderly mom or dad can purchase a robot called Wakamaru. Programmed to be verbal and friendly, this three-foot tall robot with camera eyes can also remind a patient to take his medications on schedule.
Wakamaru and similar products can be remote-controlled by a computer or telephone. Of course, they also enable the frail individual and the caregiver to communicate. Some variations on the theme have a video monitor so relatives can see one another while talking long distance.
Using Robots Helps At-Home Caregivers
The laundry list of possible robotic applications for caregiving under development in Japan includes:
- Personalized nutrition: NEC created a nutritionist robot that analyzes an individual’s health profile and make healthful menu recommendations, and “taste” and analyze the nutritional content of food on the table.
- Lifting assistance: In 2004, several Japanese companies introduced a battery-operated pair of pants, called a “robotic suit” or the “Hybrid Assistive Limb 5”. It helps strengthen disabled or frail elderly people who have difficulty walking, and assist caregivers who must lift patients.
- Physical therapy: Yaskawa Electric Corporation makes a robot to help patients do physical therapy.
Aging Society Plus Technology Advances Fuel Japan's Lead in Robotic Caregiving
Japan leads the world in robotic technologies. About 70 percent of the world's industrial robots are made by Japanese companies, according to a 2009 report by the news agency AFP.
Japan is greying rapidly, due to the intersection of two trends: the nation's low birth rate and increasing longevity. Over 25% of Japan’s population will hit age 65 years or older by 2020, compared to 17% of the nation’s nearly 130 million residents in 2005. Japan’s birthrate is declining, and both Japanese men and women boomers are living longer than their own parents.
By the middle of the 21st century, Japan will have just one retiree for every two workers.
Put the demographic realities together with Japan's leadership in computer engineering: it's clear why experimentation with service robots, pet robots and home-based electronic monitoring systems for caregiving applications is highly advanced in Japan.
Will Caregiving Robots Be Adopted in the US?
Japan's experimentation with robotic caregiving functions is fascinating. It remains to be seen whether aging American boomers and seniors will adopt robotic pets for nursing home patients or use nutritional robots to monitor the diet of a frail elderly relative, whether at home or in an institutional setting.
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