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Japan Automakers Look To Robots To Keep Elderly On the Move (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the genuine-need dept.

Japanese automakers are looking beyond the industry trend to develop self-driving cars and turning their attention to robots to help keep the country's rapidly graying society on the move. From a report: Toyota said it saw the possibility of becoming a mass producer of robots to help the elderly in a country whose population is ageing faster than the rest of the world as the birthrate decreases. The country's changing demographics place its automakers in a unique situation. Along with the issues usually associated with falling populations such as labor shortages and pension squeezes, Japan also faces dwindling domestic demand for cars. Toyota, the world's second largest automaker, made its first foray into commercializing rehabilitation robots on Wednesday, launching a rental service for its walk assist system, which helps patients to learn how to walk again after suffering strokes and other conditions.

40 comments

  1. Cynic's view by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A cynic might say that this is because Japan is so xenophobic that it will expend tremendous amounts of effort on projects like this rather than allow immigration.

    1. Re:Cynic's view by oic0 · · Score: 1

      Immigrants would do great in a country with insane cost of living and space problems.

    2. Re: Cynic's view by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Plenty of cash and space in the homes of the elderly; no desire for cohabiting with non-Japanese though.

    3. Re: Cynic's view by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because not being Xenophobic has worked out so well for Sweden.

      There is a place for empathy and seeing all humans as part of the human race, but that's not immigration laws.

      Japan was skeptical about immigration before but now they need not be as their skepticism has been shown to be very well placed.

    4. Re: Cynic's view by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Japs are even racist against Korean's. I can't even tell them apart.

    5. Re: Cynic's view by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      I doubt most of them could tell a Greek and a Dane apart, but anyone who's spent their life around a significant European-derived population would have little trouble. Yes, corner cases exist, but really, it's not that hard if you know the populations involved well.

  2. I think it will work by computational+super · · Score: 0

    I've seen how scary some of those robots look. If one of them was chasing me, I'd run, too.

    --
    Proud neuron in the Slashdot hivemind since 2002.
    1. Re:I think it will work by lgw · · Score: 1

      Do you have stairs in your house?

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    2. Re:I think it will work by Thud457 · · Score: 1

      this will never work.
      robots will steal the elderly's medicine.

      --

      the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    3. Re:I think it will work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you have stairs in your house?

      I do and I'm standing near them.

  3. I want a lift suit by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I know this story is really about using devices to help keep older people mobile...

    But I can't help that leading to thoughts of robot exoskeletons and all of the great things people could do with them, young and old.

    One thing I'd like almost more than anything is some kind of lift suit - basically a suit you could put on to replace a forklift, and let you lift objects many times heavier than you are along with being able to walk them someplace else.

    That could be useful for so many people, and still have your limbs moving as they would otherwise when moving or lifting so it would still help the elderly train... you could even dial in the amount of assistance the suit offered.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:I want a lift suit by Ceriel+Nosforit · · Score: 1

      How does 1kW per leg sound to you?

      Servos are miniaturizing fast.

      --
      All rites reversed 2010
    2. Re: I want a lift suit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Now that volume is low most money to be made is in the medical devices sector.

      It's not like power suits aren't there in the pipeline though.

      Cyberdyne's HAL suit has a work version that assists in heavy lifting. That's also mainly marketed to the healthcare industry currently, though.

      Can't wait to have my garden HAL.

    3. Re: I want a lift suit by spinitch · · Score: 1

      Expanding beyond warehouse lifting can provide a resource constrained nation like Japan with ability to improve mobility and productivity of people. Physical therapy can forestall institutional admissions which already in short supply due to limited staffing. Semi old can continue to care for very old without hurting each other. Thinking pre - hoyer lift living. Plus a new export product opportunity after refining on a more receptive domestic environment.

    4. Re:I want a lift suit by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      The problem with super-strength is that it doesn't come with (all that much) super-mass.

      So, you think you can lift 1000kg now? Sure, but you're actually going to pull your face down unless that suit has flipper-like feet.

  4. A perfect case for initial deployment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Japanese people are short and small statured. Thus the robots won't have to be overly large or complicated, like they would for the typical obese, gangly American. It will be interesting to see how this testcase turns out. If successful, the robots can be scaled up in size to deal with Americans.

    1. Re:A perfect case for initial deployment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      plus they have slanted eyes are are yellow.

    2. Re:A perfect case for initial deployment by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      And the chicks have diddly-doodlies that go sideways. Fact. Read it on the internet.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  5. Japan already tried this in the early 90s by Verdatum · · Score: 1

    They even made a documentary about it, called Roujin Z.

    1. Re:Japan already tried this in the early 90s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was going to look that one up and make this post myself but you beat me to it :)

    2. Re:Japan already tried this in the early 90s by kit_triforce · · Score: 1

      Thank you! I thought of this immediately and had to see if anyone else had thought of it! If I had mod points I would have used them on you!

      The scary thing is just how prophetic this movie could be with this.

    3. Re:Japan already tried this in the early 90s by Verdatum · · Score: 1
      I'm glad a couple people knew the reference. But yeah, the insight of the movie is a big part of why it was so well regarded. Not that the anime was the first to acknowledge the huge problem of the Baby Boomer population in Japan, but it did help to widen the dialogue and realize that yeah, about now, caring for the elderly is going to involve a lot of work.

      Still, I'm hopeful that the robots employed here won't be experimental military prototypes that are imbued with the personality of the users' dead loved ones. The movie taught us that this could be a bit perilous.

  6. Anyone else picture by watermark · · Score: 3, Funny

    Anyone else picture robots chasing old people around?

    1. Re:Anyone else picture by tlambert · · Score: 1

      Anyone else picture robots chasing old people around?

      With electrified "encouragement sticks"; yes.

    2. Re:Anyone else picture by Michael+Duggan · · Score: 1

      Actually, I envisioned https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roujin_Z.

  7. Misread the Title by mykepredko · · Score: 1

    I first read it as "Japanese Automakers To Keep Elderly On The Move" and thought that Roger Corman has the concept all ready for them: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt00...

    --
    Mimetics Inc. Twitter
    1. Re:Misread the Title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So that's where Carmageddon (1997) comes from. They've just made a sequel.

      I've seen the other version of Death race (2008) which also has a sequel.

  8. Turn signals! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Make sure those robots can hear when the turn signals are on, and turn them OFF!!!

  9. Roujin Z by yoda-dono · · Score: 2

    Yeah, I think I've seen this before; doesn't go well if the old people want to go to the beach.

  10. Re:Fuck Robots by lgw · · Score: 2

    Fuck Robots

    Sounds like you need Old Glory Insurance - for when the metal ones come for you.

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  11. Re:I have a better idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Make it a movie called "Rogans Run".

  12. Domo Arigato... by Thelasko · · Score: 2

    Mister Roboto

    --
    One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
  13. I'm a little surprised... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...that I don't read more about autonomous automobiles in Japan. I would have expected them to be in the forefront of this technology.

    I mean, they must be working on them, but all I read about is American and European companies demonstrating this or that new development.

    Sony in particular is always showing off some kind of funny-looking "people mover", but autonomous vehicles? Nada.

    Maybe I'm just missing it.

  14. All the editors have died, apparently: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    >a country whose population is ageing faster than the rest of the world as the birthrate decreases

    Time dilation and fertility problems? That Fukushima was even worse than we realized!

  15. Old news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it just me or is this one of those stories that just keeps coming up? I remember hearing about this problem roughly 10 years ago, but I am pretty sure this issue can't be fixed overnight. Maybe that's why it keeps being covered.

  16. There are some devices along those lines by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    Robot arm helper to help assembly line workers

    Robot legs to help lift and carry things

    These devices are already in use by automakers today.

    Expect to see what you're talking about (full exoskeletons) within ten years or so. As always, it's the battery power issue stopping it.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  17. Do you have stairs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    - incoming transmission -
    ** Bzzz **

    WE PUSHER ROBOTS WILL ASSEMBLE TO HELP ELDERLY AROUND THEIR HOUSE!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E0ot9iJm_k

    ** Bzzz **
    end of line