Panasonic Launches New Services Using Walk Training Robot for Care Facilities

AI analyzes gait and enables walking training suitable for each user

Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Corporation has developed a mass production model of its Walk Training Robot that is designed to provide safe and efficient walk training for elderly citizens with apprehensions about walking because of physical depression and experience of falling. The company will begin offering a service using this robot to care facilities, hospitals, and other institutions this month.

In an aging society, walking is considered as a first step to preventive care. And more emphasis is put on initiatives that focus on preventing elderly people from requiring nursing care. Panasonic has engaged in the development and demonstration of AI-equipped walking training robots since 2015 to enable the elderly with walking anxiety to regain the walking ability and extend healthy life.

With a mass-production technology for this robot established, Panasonic will now offer a service using the robot for care facilities, hospitals, and other institutions to support consistent walking training for the elderly.

This service will facilitate safe and efficient training for users—simply by pushing the robot when walking—helping to maintain and even improve their walking ability. Further, training results are automatically measured and recorded to simplify the management of user’s data for facility staff.

Using AI to analyze gait, the robot employs a visualization technology that shows changes in physical function in an easy-to-understand manner to alleviate concerns of elderly people about facing training and not being able to see the effects. In addition, it is easy to use and designed to encourage users actively walk, making training a fun experience to keep them motivated.

In the future, Panasonic will work to further expand this service that supports the desire of elderly people to walk on their own, and reinforce its efforts to help them enjoy an active lifestyle.

[Video] Panasonic Walk Training Robot KY-WTR502S
https://channel.panasonic.com/jp/contents/32095/ (Japanese only)