As populations age in industrialized countries all over the world, the elderly may turn to robots to help them with chores and mobility. Panasonic recently held a press conference in Kadoma, Osaka to demonstrate some of their new robotic systems aimed at home use, and assisting the elderly. These devices include a kitchen arm, a motorized lifter/mover, and a bed that turns into a wheelchair. The electronics giant announced that it wanted to reach 100 billion yen (~$1.1 billion USD) in robot sales in 2015/2016, thus becoming profitable in the field at that point. By focusing on assistance bots rather than humanoid machines, Panasonic hopes to build devices which have a ready consumer base. Stocks (TYO:6752) rose briefly on the news. Check out the cool video from IDG and Newtork World.TV after the break.

Japan, like the United States and most other nations in the West, faces increasing healthcare expenses as a large post war generation continues to age. There will certainly be automated systems that will augment the care provided by doctors, nurses, and other professionals. Improved monitoring devices, and various remote controlled probes will increase the efficiency of medical teams. Just as important, we may see an increase in technologies that allow patients to help themselves such as reliable online medical information. Assistance robots would allow you to direct your own care to some extent, or at least manage the day to day tasks that would normally require a human caretaker. The elderly could turn to robotics to guarantee a greater sense of freedom and self reliance.
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