How can humanoid artificial intelligence robots hold the key to the aging population?!
Japan is the most advanced aging society in the world with a declining birth rate, a shrinking working-age population, and restrictive immigration policies.
Its "baby boomer" generation, a swelling cohort created by a postwar baby boom from 1947 to 1949, all turned at least 75 years old by the end of 2024, exacerbating a severe shortage of eldercare workers.
The number of babies born in 2024 fell for the ninth straight year, down 5% to a record low of 720,988, data from Japan's health ministry showed on Thursday. Meanwhile, the nursing sector is struggling to fill jobs.
It had just one applicant for every 4.25 available jobs in December, far worse than the overall jobs-to-applicants ratio of 1.22, according to government data.
While the government looks overseas to help fill the gap, the number of foreign workers in the sector has increased over the years, but only stood at about 57,000 in 2023, or less than 3% of the total workforce in the field.
At a facility in Tokyo, a doll-sized, insect-eyed robot assists a care worker by singing pop songs and leading the elderly in simple exercise, while human caregivers diligently tend to other pressing tasks.
One of the most practical uses of nursing care technologies currently is as sleep sensors placed under residents' mattresses to monitor their sleeping conditions, reducing the number of people making rounds during the night.
Although humanoid robots like Tesla's Optimus are being developed for the near future, robots that can physically interact with humans require next-level precision and intelligence.
Humanoid robots are being developed around the world, but they rarely come into direct contact with humans. They simply do household chores or some tasks on factory floors.
Sugano's AIREC robot is able to help a person sit or put on socks, cook scrambled eggs, fold laundry, and several other useful tasks around the house.
But experts don't expect AIREC to be ready for use in nursing care and medical facilities until around 2030, and with a high price tag of no less than 10 million yen ($67,000) initially.
Poll

Bitcoin hits 3-month low – Why do experts expect it to surpass $200,000?!
A weeklong decline in Bitcoin worsened on Friday, with the digital asset hitting its lowest level in over 3 months, reversing gains that followed the......

Trump: Tariffs on Mexico and Canada will start on March 4. Plus an additional 10% for China!
President Donald Trump said Thursday that his proposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada will take effect on March 4 and that China will be hit with an additional......

Greek customs strike/ State Police announces: Only pedestrians without luggage will be allowed. Details!
The Border Police and Migration Department of the State Police announces that today, February 28, from 07:00 to 23:00, Greek customs employees at the......

How did this week and this month end for the major currencies?!
The US dollar has closed this week and month with a slight increase in value, as it recorded positive quotes this Friday as well, being bought today at 94.7......

How are global alliances changing? - EU aims to strengthen partnership with India, after tensions with Trump
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began her two-day visit to India, accompanied by all the top leaders of the European Union's executive......

Albania-Sweden: Joint cooperation projects in the field of tax administration
The Director General of Taxes, Ilir Binaj, paid an official visit to Stockholm, at the headquarters of the Swedish Tax Administration, at the invitation of......

New road in the Lundë/Rama area: Urban transformation continues, facilitating access to residential areas
The urban transformation of various areas of the country has included both the infrastructure of the main roads, such as the southeastern part that connects......

"Pesticide-laced tangerines were buried" - Gjeçi: We have denounced the failure to follow the procedure
Three people have been arrested in Berat, after the city's Prosecutor's Office suspected them of selling 10 tons of pesticide-laced tangerines that had been......