Are Western nursing homes ready for Japan's humanoid robots?

The fitness class at the Do Life Shinagawa nursing home begins at 10:30 a.m., drawing about two dozen eager participants -- many of them pushing 70, 80 and even 90 years of age. At the front of the room is a human instructor, but it is the 16 inch tall robot standing on a table to his right that the crowd is paying attention to. The sleek, white humanoid robot is turned on and with fluid motion, stands up and spreads out its arms. "Why are you waking me up?" the robot asks in Japanese in an almost child-like voice. "Oh, you want to exercise?"