<p>Robots, such as the sound-sensitive Chapit, answer simple questions and even joke with people to help the solitary fight loneliness and stay alert in old age. <br /><br />“Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to,” said Kazuya Kitamura, a representative of the expo organiser. “Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again.”<br /><br />While Chapit, a relatively simple robot, managed to attract a corporate partner, many researchers, such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto, a professor at the University of Tokyo, struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects. <br /><br />Matsumoto’s “Personal Mobility Robot”, equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognise the user’s centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons, using joysticks or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs. <br /><br />The robot can also help find misplaced spectacles by identifying them with a sensor. <br />“We have developed a robot that can assist many people, but because of the high cost, we still haven’t found a sponsor,” said Matsumoto, who added that the cost of the machine, if mass-produced, would be comparable to that of a compact car. <br /><br />“In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project,” he said. <br /><br />Other robots, such as the award-winning “DiGRO” can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children. <br /><br />The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures, keeping children company while parents work. <br /><br />Japan has one of the world's fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050 the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 per cent.</p>
<p>Robots, such as the sound-sensitive Chapit, answer simple questions and even joke with people to help the solitary fight loneliness and stay alert in old age. <br /><br />“Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to,” said Kazuya Kitamura, a representative of the expo organiser. “Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again.”<br /><br />While Chapit, a relatively simple robot, managed to attract a corporate partner, many researchers, such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto, a professor at the University of Tokyo, struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects. <br /><br />Matsumoto’s “Personal Mobility Robot”, equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognise the user’s centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons, using joysticks or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs. <br /><br />The robot can also help find misplaced spectacles by identifying them with a sensor. <br />“We have developed a robot that can assist many people, but because of the high cost, we still haven’t found a sponsor,” said Matsumoto, who added that the cost of the machine, if mass-produced, would be comparable to that of a compact car. <br /><br />“In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project,” he said. <br /><br />Other robots, such as the award-winning “DiGRO” can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children. <br /><br />The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures, keeping children company while parents work. <br /><br />Japan has one of the world's fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050 the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 per cent.</p>
