AN old Chinese adage says, “Rear children to provide for old age.” In the future, however, more people may be turning to robots for care.

    Four robots are new “nurses” at Shanghai No. 9 Elderly Happy Home, a showcase center for geriatric services and entertainment. They can chat, dance, sing and entertain. If they are yelled at, the robots respond with, “I also have feelings.”

    At the end of 2014, China had 212 million people aged 60 or over — 15.5 percent of the total population. The elderly will account for 20 percent of the population in the next decade.

    The fact that people are living longer means there is a growing need for intelligent machines to supplement care work, said Dun Xiangming, an associate professor at the Robotics Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

    “Today’s youths do not want to be caregivers,” said Dun, adding that single children face a lot of responsibility with aging parents and grandparents.

    “Intelligent machines will be needed,” he added.

    Another robot, Tami 118, can monitor vital signs and remind residents to take their medications.

    “The robots are companions. They can keep elderly persons company and send reports and updates to family members,” said Wang Zhen, chairperson of the board of directors at Happy Home.

    Tami and the robots at the Shanghai center are produced by Beijing firm Tami Intelligence and cost around 100,000 yuan (US$15,800) each.

    “In Beijing alone, we have sold hundreds of Tami homecare robots in the past few years, but they are still a luxury,” said Ding Liucheng, sales manager at Tami Intelligence.

    The robots are customized to meet client demands, Ding said.

    At Yushan Nursing Home in Kunshan City, East China’s Jiangsu Province, “Great Robot” tries to help bedridden patients.

    At 40 centimeters high and weighing three kilograms, the machine makes the rounds and sends images to his human nurse colleagues. It can also open doors and windows if the ward is too warm.

    Its producer Ameditec Mechatronic Technology Company, also based in Kunshan, makes a wide range of service robots for use in “smart-homes.”

    Each Great Robot costs about 8,000 yuan, and the company has sold thousands of models.

    Nursing the elderly, however, may be a challenge for the robots. “Nurses need years of training; you can’t just program that into a robot,” said Dun Xiangming.

    Industrial robots have proven to be well-functioning, efficient and cost effective, but nursing the elderly demands a robot that is interactive, reliable and safe, he said. (Xinhua)