Government News
Bionic nannies may fill a widening shortage of caregivers for the elderly 2024-08-19
Chen Meifen, 92, held up a smartphone and said to her son, visiting her in hospital, "Look! A robot nanny. I want one of these."
The AI-generated video on her phone showed a humanoid cooking and hand-feeding meals to the elderly, ironing clothes and helping the frail from wheelchair to bed, and even chatting over a cup of tea.
"It's not real," her son, in his late 60s, replied. "There is no such robot."
Seeing her disappointment, he quickly added: "But it probably will be reality in a few years. Let's get one for your 100th birthday!"
As far-fetched as the idea of robots as comprehensive caregivers may seem now, industry experts predict evolving technology and an improving cost-benefit ratio for such bionic nannies will one day make the concept feasible. And that day may not be far off.
The idea of "smart senior care" which integrates robotics, artificial intelligence and the metaverse with the needs of the elderly, would be a big boon in a country with nearly 300 million people 60 years and older – close to the entire population of the United States.
Healthy Loong, a humanoid standing at 185cm with a weight of 82kg, made its debut at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2024 in Shanghai. Twenty-five humanois showed up at the conference in July.
By 2040, the figure is expected to balloon to 400 million in China. At the same time, a shortage of human caregivers continues in an industry where low pay dissuades long-term commitment.
"In reality, tasks from daily household work to basic medical assistance can be handled by different robots, whether they are in the shape of humans or not, but so far some human assistance is still needed in most cases," said Bell Chen, an angel investor and co-founder of Hangzhou-based B&T Capital.
"China is the biggest automation market, supported by its ability to adopt and localize the most advanced technologies, a comprehensive, highly developed supply chain, growing and evolving market demands and a determined government."
In the first half of 2023, China produced 3.5 million service robots, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. That was up nearly 10 percent from a year earlier.
Eight robots featured among the ministry's 2023 list of 263 recommended products for senior care. Three were lower-limb rehabilitation robots, three were companion robots, one assisted with toilet needs and another that swept floors.
"There is a good combination of companies operating on different scales," Chen said. "Many products can be adjusted or improved to cater to senior care. It's a matter of who is willing specifically to research, produce and improve expensive robots to cater to the elderly, who are traditionally considered cash-strapped and rely on family help."
Visitors check out a set of smart bathing equipment at China Aid, an exhibition of senior-care products.
Chinese companies see opportunities at the cutting edge of elderly care. Among the tech companies doing research into various facets of robotic care are iFlytek, Shenzhen-based Zuowei Tech, and Fairyon Humanoid Tech and Fourier Intelligence, both headquartered in Shanghai.
Artificial intelligence firm iFlytek, based in the Anhui Province capital of Hefei, issued what it called "Ultra Brain 2030" plan in 2022. The concept proposes comprehensive robotic care for the elderly, involving sensors and other digital devices.
Zuowei Tech, specialized in nursing robots for physically impaired patients, was founded in 2019 by a group of entrepreneurs who had experience with caring for senior relatives. Its first robot that assisted toilet needs went into mass production at the end of 2021.
"In that process, we all understood that it takes relatively longer for the senior-care market to develop, and we are ready for all types of challenges," Peng Shuiping, co-founder of Zuowei, said at a recent livestreaming.
"It takes a while to cultivate consumer awareness for smart senior-care products. It is not only a matter of popularizing the technology, but also a challenge rooted in culture, habits and market acceptance."
Japan, grappling for years with an ageing population, often dominates discussion of innovative methods in senior care. For over 20 years, various Japanese companies, with investment from both public and private sectors, have developed and experimented with robots operating in Japan's nursing homes. Few, however, have gone into mass production.
Paro, a leading Japanese industrial automation pioneer, stands out in the field. Its US$6,000 robot in the shape of a furry baby harp seal is said to have a calming effect on elderly in hospitals and nursing homes, especially among patients suffering dementia.
Paro is sold as a therapeutic robot.
Investor Chen said he is more upbeat about the Chinese market, especially after industry guidelines were released by the central and provincial governments.
A document released this year by the State Council, China's Cabinet, is a guideline for the "silver economy," addressing benefits for senior citizens. It includes sections on building new eco-systems of "smart" senior care that include wearable devices, service robots, rehabilitation robots and experiments in virtual reality.
Shanghai, where 37 percent of the population was aged 60 or older at the end of 2023, recently released a 2024-2027 plan to improve use of cutting-edge technology in elderly care.
The plan specifically highlights the application of various types of robots and the integration of artificial intelligence. It also includes continued construction of an industrial zone in Minhang District dedicated to senior care.
The first phase was just completed, and the first group of companies operating in the senior-care industry are expected to move in by October.
The first group of companies will move into the new industrial zone for senior care in Minhang District in October.
Professor Guo Shuai of Shanghai University, who specializes in intelligence rehabilitation and intelligent training, said the time is ripe to apply advanced technology to senior care at lower prices.
"There is a growing consensus from the government, family members and the elderly themselves on the importance of senior care meeting not only basic needs but also offering a high quality of life, emotionally and spiritually," Guo said.
GA Bottech, where Guo serves as a consultant, started a program that includes experimentation with robots in a top hospital in Xuhui District, three community hospitals and a local community of seniors since 2021. The Shanghai-based company specializes in rehabilitation robots.
Guo has upgraded the plan to include the metaverse – a trendy industrial concept that he says could be adapted to serve the elderly.
"People often associate senior care with lying in bed, unable to do anything and dependent on the care of others," he said. "In reality, that's only the final stage of life. Our goal should be to ensure that the elderly enjoy a healthy, dignified life before it gets to that stage."
He added, "That's where our system comes in. Existing care products for the elderly are usually singular in function. Senior care needs a new, comprehensive system."
The training walkpath filled with sensors is being experimented at various nursing homes in Shanghai. In October, Guo's team will have digital copies of seniors in the metaverse.
He paints a picture where the elderly don't need to go to doctors so often. Instead, a digital copy of the person pops up on a doctor's screen, showing basic health information and data collected from sensors installed in their daily life. The elderly don't have to think about how to articulate their conditions. They can also enjoy a digital community on the metaverse, reducing their sense of loneliness and absence of people to talk to.
Guo has designed a training walking pad filled with sensors, currently under experiment at some nursing homes in Shanghai. In October, the team will have digital copies of seniors in the metaverse.
In the future, according to Guo, sensors would be integrated with furniture to improve the data collected about daily lives and also to help mitigate risks such as falling, a major cause of accidental death among seniors.
A lower-limb rehabilitation robot at WAIC
Senior care is a hot topic in China, not only among the elderly, but also among younger family members.
Forty-year-old Joyce Zhang said her opinions about senior care have changed since her grandfather began suffering dementia in 2019. Her mother, like many Chinese, refused to send grandpa to a nursing home, caring for him at home until it became impossible.
Her grandfather, now 98, has lived at a nursing home for three years. Zhang and her mother, who visit him regularly, have witnessed a gradual improvement in terms of caring personnel and equipment.
Zhang said she has decided not to put the burden of future care for herself on her two children.
"I know how that could crush them, after seeing what my mom went through with my grandpa," she said. "I am prepared to go to a nursing home when I get old. Of course, I would prefer to stay at home, especially if a robot could take care of all my needs at a cost cheaper than an ayi (domestic helper)."
In Shanghai, an in-home ayi for seniors costs between 8,000 yuan (US$1,114) and 25,000 a month, depending on the condition of the senior and the professional skills of the helper. Around the country, senior-care workers are in huge demand in an industry where many don't stay long.
Zhang's idea of not relying on her children for elderly care is growing among Chinese of different ages.
A viral video on WeChat from a self-proclaimed artificial intelligence expert got over 10,000 comments a few days after it is posted.
"No need to trouble children; you have nanny robots," it is written on top of the video.
Like the video Li watched, it depicts a bright future, where humanoid caregivers handle everything and can be as cheap as a mobile phone.
Top questions among the comments included whether robots could cook, how much such a service would cost, whether the digital caregivers could chat with clients and when this new technology would be market-ready.
When asked about his forecasts for senior care by the time he retires, Professor Guo replied, "Better technology, better life."
On top, it says "no need to trouble children; you have nanny robots."
Source: Shanghai Daily
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