Robots in Japan are already starting to help senior citizens exercise and bring smiles to their faces. And the fast-ageing country hopes that in the near future, they will be able to help look after the country's elderly. At an ageing society expo in the outskirts of Tokyo that showcased the latest items designed for elderly and handicapped people, a physical education instructor robot, named Taizo, led a group exercise session, which was joined by some 2,000 visitors. In the future, robots like Taizo may have a larger role to play in Japan, where one in five people are now 65 or over. This proportion is seen rising to over one in four in 2015, according to a government estimate. For people having difficulty walking, a power suit, dubbed Hybrid Assistive Limb, or HAL, may come in handy.It looks like a sleek, high-tech suit of white armour and can give a person more than twice his or her usual strength.The robot suit can make it easier for elderly people with weakened muscles to move around. It can also be used by the physically disabled for rehabilitation training, developers say.
