As the U.S. faces a historic demographic shift, Stanford experts are developing robots to help older adults walk safely, get dressed, do chores, and maintain independence at home. In brief:

• America’s aging population is driving a need for robotic caregiving solutions.
• Stanford labs are developing assistive technologies from walking companion robots to soft inflatable lifters to touch-sensitive robotic fingertips.
• These innovations aim to help older adults age independently at home, addressing a shortage in caregiving resources.

Monroe Kennedy III, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford Robotics Center thinks it could be a tool for older people in their homes. Its fine dexterity could help perform tasks like opening medicine bottles or picking up a dropped pill, and its gentleness could one day enable direct physical assistance in bathing or dressing. Progress requires more investment and more research, Kennedy says, but he’s optimistic we’re not far from a day when robots step in to make aging in place much easier. “We’re a lot closer than you think.”

Researchers prepare robots for an aging society | Stanford Report