• Japan’s aging population and caregiver shortage drive the development of AI-powered robots like AIREC to assist with elderly care.
  • While promising, humanoid caregiving robots like AIREC face challenges in precision, safety, and affordability, with deployment expected by 2030.

Tokyo researchers are developing an AI-driven humanoid robot to assist with elderly care as Japan faces a growing shortage of caregivers. The prototype, known as AIREC, was recently demonstrated rolling a man onto his side, a maneuver used for changing diapers or preventing bedsores.

"Given our highly advanced aging society and declining births, we will be needing robots' support for medical and elderly care, and in our daily lives," said Shigeki Sugano, a Waseda University professor leading the research with government funding.

Japan is dealing with a rapidly aging population and a declining birth rate. The country's baby boomer generation, born between 1947 and 1949, all turned at least 75 by the end of 2024, increasing demand for elderly care. In 2024, the number of births fell for the ninth consecutive year, reaching a record low of 720,988, according to Japan’s health ministry.

Meanwhile, the nursing sector is struggling to fill jobs, with only one applicant for every 4.25 positions available as of December, a stark contrast to the country’s overall job-to-applicant ratio of 1.22.

To address the shortage, Japan has been bringing in foreign workers, but they made up just 3% of the sector’s workforce in 2023. 

Takashi Miyamoto, a director at Zenkoukai, an elderly-care facility operator, acknowledged the severity of the situation.

"We are barely keeping our heads above water and in 10, 15 years, the situation will be quite bleak. Technology is our best chance to avert that."

Zenkoukai has incorporated some robotic assistance, such as small robots that lead stretching exercises and sleep sensors that monitor residents. However, humanoid robots that physically interact with people require advanced precision and intelligence.

Sugano, who also serves as president of the Robotics Society of Japan, noted that while robots like Tesla’s Optimus are being developed, few are designed for direct human interaction.

AIREC is currently capable of tasks like helping a person sit up, putting on socks, cooking simple meals, and folding laundry. However, it is not expected to be ready for medical or nursing use until around 2030, with an initial price tag of at least ¥10 million ($67,000).

Care workers remain cautiously optimistic. Takaki Ito, a worker at a Zenkoukai facility, believes AI equipped robots could have a role in elderly care but emphasized collaboration. "Robots and humans working together to improve nursing care is a future I am hoping for."

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah