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Robotic Bubble Baths for Japan's Elderly
LukePieStalker writes "New York Times (open kimono before entering) is carrying an article on various robots that are being used in assisted living situations. In addition to mentioning the Wakamaru, the story has illustrations of a human washing machine and a description of robotic pants that help those with mobility problems. Apparently, the devices are considered the better choice in a country that is not inclined to grant working visas to foreigners. As Japan's population shrinks, will the robot population make up the difference?"
No not only do we send our folks to the home, but now they won't ever see a human again! Hope you like robots! Take that mom and dad!
This is bad! The elderly hold all of our history, if they give that information to the robots, we will all be doomed!
DOOMED!
Setec Astronomy
As Japan's population shrinks ;)
Is this a literal reference towards the elderly?
Soylent Green. Its a wonderful idea. You take your dead and make little biscuits so that the young can benefit from the dead, instead of them being a parasitic load on the youth.
-Coward for an obvious reason
We need those robots here too, so we don't have to see anymore headlines about old people being beaten by their caretakers or left to lie in their own excrements for weeks.
Japan is notoriously not handicapped accessibility friendly; seems the robotic mobility assistance would be a necessity.
slashdot, news for crazed liberal socialist zealots
Robotic pants! What are they thinking? When will these scientists learn from history?
Huh? What's this crap about Japan not issuing work visas? Do I sense some bitter frustration by some otaku who couldn't get a job?
I was offered a job and a work visa in '96 and turned it down, a friend of mine has been over there since '98 on a work visa.
Now when my children get dirty, just stick them in the human washing machine! They especially like the spin cycle, but if they throw up, you have to start the whole thing over.
Who moved my sig?
The future should, hopefully, be fillled with robotic slaves to carry out our every whim :)
But seriously, the next logical progression in a technologically advancing society is to replace menial labour with automated systems, we have already done it with the factory production system, and the next step is the services industry.
As long as we dont give them unnecessary AI and for some reason equip robots designed to clean houses with tactical thermonuclear devices, we wont have to worry about any robotic revolutions.
Post apocalyptic gaming goodness
ii na-, The companies that I applied for didn't even have the courtesy to respond with a negative, they just ignored me, I called one places HR dept. to ask about what they wanted, and they just gave me the usual... I also love to see how the newspapers say things like ".....the violent crime problem which is caused by foreiners....." (on the bight side... I had to beat the girls off with a 2x4 ;-) )
Less look fast, more go fast.
...robotic pants that help those with mobility problems
And on this side of the Pacific, elderly citizens already delighted by their mail application's ability to inform them "you've got mail" upon receipt thereof will be pleased to hear that their talking robotic geriatric care undergarments will now inform them of the arrival of such as is deposited within their own "inbox."
We need to humanize the problem of the increasing elder population and stop talking about 'technical' solutions.
Loneliness can kill.
the devices are considered the better choice in a country that is not inclined to grant working visas to foreigners
That's misguided and inaccurate. If you meet the criteria of having a 3 or 4 year degree, and a company values you enough to sponsor you, you can get a working visa.
Always remember, work visa arrangements between countries are reciprocal. If you find it hard to get a visa for Japan, chances are Japanese people find it much harder to get a visa for your country.
Oh, and if you want a job wiping up after old people, I'm sure the Ministry of Immingration will make an exception for you.
"It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
Well you make a REALLY good point here.
Lets say that you import or hire workers to take care of the elderly. Are they going to be making a huge salary? NO, because those jobs are literally shit, and you get very little respect. If you were to pay more then health care costs sky-rocket.
Frankly on this issue the Japanese have the right attitude. Hire less professionals, pay them more and overall you have a better system. Instead of forcing the professionals to do "grunt" work let them focus on interacting with the elderly.
"You can't make a race horse of a pig"
"No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"
in Sri Lanka, and something like this would be very helpful for us. would save the problems you get with having to help people bathe themselves. all you have to do is lead them to the unit and help them in.. the machine does the rest.
this would save in time and labour as well as being more comfortable for the person being washed than having a human do it for them. it IS a pride thing, but people prefer to be helped into something like this than have the "stigma" of being so helpless that they need some one to wash them.
learn from yesterday, plan for tomorrow, party tonight
or one out of three ain't bad
This is so sad. They fail to have children, and then refuse to accept foreigners who need the jobs for a living. Then they want to make for children and robots? So recently entered modernity, and already decadent... the rest of the First World is decadent too, but at least has had some half a millenium of modernity.
I think it was a rabbi who said that a country without children is orphan. And I'd add that a rich country who refuse poor needy workers is without heart.
Leandro Guimarães Faria Corcete DUTRA
DA, DBA, SysAdmin, Data Modeller
GNU Project, Debian GNU/Lin
Have we learnt nothing from Wallace and Gromit's The Wrong Trousers?
I wonder how those trousers work exactly, someone would still be needed to help the elderly use the "trousers" and explain the functions of the machine.
Now what if the machine doesn't stop? That could be cause of anxiety for people not used to technology.
I have mixed feelings about this, cleaning and feeding is often the only moment were elderly share time with another human presence.
Would this device not bring more loneliness and more depression, in a time where family solidarity and help seems to gradually dissolve?
I doubt it would bring additional independence, although it would be practical in medical environments and lead to needing less staff, it could contribute to isolate the person with mobility problems even more.
In Japan you can boot perfumed and coloured, what is the next step into metamorphosing us into machines?
This will also happen in the U.S. and other developed contries as the cost of these robots drops below the labor cost of employing people. Manufactured goods continue to grow cheaper every day while labor continues to become more expensive. I'm sure that some people won't like the idea of being cared for by robots, but most people will take the cheaper option when they discover the high cost of hiring someone (or their long-term care insurance refuses to reimburse them for high-labor cost care).
And if the U.S. passes jobs protection laws like those in Europe, I bet that the trend toward replacing people will accelerate. Low interest rates also help this trend by making it cheap (per month) to own an expensive piece of capital equipment. Add to that the fact that robots won't steal from you, take sick days, or quit when they are tired of caring for crotchety old coots, and this trend is inevitable.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
This a movie already Roujin Z as I recall was about a healthcare bed that went beserk.
They're working on it. Japanese conference states robots' rules of order
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
Old Lady #1: When my ex-husband passed away, the insurance company said his policy didn't cover him.
Old Lady #2: They didn't have enough money for the funeral.
Old Lady #3: It's so hard nowadays, with all the gangs and rap music..
Old Lady #1: What about the robots?
Old Lady #4: Oh, they're everywhere!
Old Lady #1: I don't even know why the scientists make them.
Old Lady #2: Darren and I have a policy with Old Glory Insurance, in case we're attacked by robots.
Old Lady #1: An insurance policy with a robot plan? Certainly, I'm too old.
Old Lady #2: Old Glory covers anyone over the age of 50 against robot attack, regardless of current health.
[ cut to Sam Waterston, Compensated Endorser ]
Sam Waterson: I'm Sam Waterston, of the popular TV series "Law & Order". As a senior citizen, you're probably aware of the threat robots pose. Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel. Well, now there's a company that offers coverage against the unfortunate event of robot attack, with Old Glory Insurance. Old Glory will cover you with no health check-up or age consideration. [ SUPER: Limitied Benefits First Two Years ] You need to feel safe. And that's harder and harder to do nowadays, because robots may strike at any time. [ show pie chart reading "Cause of Death in Persons Over 50 Years of Age": Heart Disease, 42% - Robots, 58% ] And when they grab you with those metal claws, you can't break free.. because they're made of metal, and robots are strong. Now, for only $4 a month, you can achieve peace of mind in a world full of grime and robots, with Old Glory Insurance. So, don't cower under your afghan any longer. Make a choice. [ SUPER: "WARNING: Persons denying the existence of Robots may be Robots themselves. ] Old Glory Insurance. For when the metal ones decide to come for you - and they will.
... until the robot accidentally drowns some geezer in the tub! Or maybe not accidentally - some evil person hacks it to drown their old man to hurry up the inheritance...