(AP photo)TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp said it will commercialise rehabilitation robots later this year when it makes its robotic walk assist system available for rent, joining Honda Motor Co in marketing mobility devices for Japan's ageing population. "The (system) will help to provide assistance to the elderly by enabling them to live more independent lives and to also provide support for their care-givers," Toyota said in a statement. Demand for aged-care services has boomed as the shrinking working population means that fewer able-bodied adults are available to look after the elderly. Such systems are a new frontier for major automakers, which are already competing to develop self-driving cars with an eye on the elderly as a major future market. Toyota has invested heavily in artificial intelligence as part of its push into self-driving cars, and has said it may become a maker of AI robots to help the elderly.

Source: Bangkok Post April 12, 2017 06:33 UTC