Japan pushes humanoid caregiving robots as ageing crisis deepens

Japan is accelerating efforts to deploy humanoid caregiving robots as part of a long-term response to its rapidly ageing population, with researchers now demonstrating systems capable of learning tasks such as cooking, cleaning and physically repositioning patients.

The work is being carried out under Goal No. 3 of the Moonshot research programme, funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency. The programme aims to integrate autonomous learning robots into daily life by 2050, addressing labour shortages in care while reducing physical strain on human caregivers. The project is being accelerated through the use of NVIDIA AI and robotics technologies, according to the agency.

At the centre of the effort is the AI-Driven Robot for Embrace and Care family, known as AIREC, a series of humanoid systems designed to support close-contact care. Different versions are being developed for specific use cases. Dry-AIREC carries two NVIDIA graphics processing units onboard, while AIREC-Basic relies on three NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX modules to handle edge AI workloads. The robots are trained in simulation using NVIDIA Isaac Sim, allowing researchers to model physical interaction, including estimating forces between bodies and objects.

“Five years ago, before generative AI, few people believed that this application was possible,” said Tetsuya Ogata, professor and director of the Institute for AI and Robotics at Waseda University. He said advances in learning-based robotics have shifted expectations about what machines can safely and reliably do around people.

The research teams are working towards a full set of caregiving capabilities. Tasks under development include changing diapers, assisting with bathing, helping patients eat and repositioning people in beds or wheelchairs. The goal is not to replace human carers, researchers say, but to offload repetitive and physically taxing work so staff can focus on emotional support and quality of life.

“We’re focusing on things like changing diapers, helping patients take baths and providing meal assistance, so those actions can be supported by the robots, and caregivers can focus on improving the patients’ lives,” said Misa Matsumura, a bioengineering master’s student at the University of Tokyo. Matsumura’s team recently presented research on patient repositioning at the IEEE and RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

That work combines three-dimensional posture estimation, trajectory planning and force estimation to allow a robot to move a human body safely. Training was carried out using laptops equipped with NVIDIA RTX GPUs, while Dry-AIREC’s fisheye and depth cameras are used to model movements in real time. Initial experiments were conducted with mannequins and have now progressed to tests with human participants.

For members of the team, the project is shaped by personal experience as well as technical ambition. Etsuko Kobayashi, professor of bioengineering at the University of Tokyo and Matsumura’s graduate adviser, said caring responsibilities influenced her decision to join the programme. “Although my study focus is on medical robotics, I decided to join this project because my mother is growing older, and that experience has given me an appreciation for the importance of personal care,” she said.

The Moonshot team working on Goal No. 3 is expected to showcase progress at the International Symposium on System Integration in January 2026, as Japan continues to explore whether humanoid robots can play a practical role in sustaining its healthcare system in the decades ahead.

The Recap

• Japan Science and Technology Agency develops NVIDIA-powered caregiving robots.
• Dry-AIREC robot uses two NVIDIA GPUs onboard for processing.
• Team will showcase progress at symposium in January.