Robots pick up the challenge of home care needs

This article was first published on the IEC e-tech website. Advances in sensors have increased the ability of assistive robots to perform domestic handling and mobility assistance tasks as well as to analyze the environment and individuals around them so that they can carry out monitoring functions. About 4 700 elderly assistance robots were sold globally in 2015, according to the International Federation of Robotics in Frankfurt, which forecasts that sales will increase to 37 500 units between 2016 and 2019. Robots assisting with healthcare delivery in the home not only increase their users' autonomy but also have the potential to relieve the burgeoning demands that elderly populations place on health and care services and informal caregivers. Meanwhile, increasingly sophisticated "companion robots" are being developed to interact with users, make social connections with them and even provide companionship and emotional support, subject to personal choice.