China Leads Global Effort in Setting International Standards for Elderly Care Robots

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Chinese experts have taken a leading role in coordinating the process of setting international standards for senior care robots, which could help pave the way for the technology's commercialization. The set of standards, produced by a working group under the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), aims to guide the design, manufacturing, and certification of robots tailored to the unique needs of ageing populations. The IEC working group was made up of dozens of experts from several countries, with a Chinese national and a Korean national acting as conveners. The standards outline key functional requirements for eldercare robots, encompassing areas such as health monitoring, emergency response, and mobility, among others.

The release of this standard is expected to guide manufacturers of elderly care robots to focus on the physiological and psychological characteristics as well as needs of the elderly, and help them better adapt to social life. The implementation of this standard will pave the way for a new track in the elderly care robot industry. According to data from the World Health Organization, the global population of people aged 60 and above is expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, including 426 million individuals over the age of 80. As people age, the elderly population will experience varying degrees of functional decline or even disability in perception, physical strength, cognition, and more.

The emergence of elderly care robots can not only ease the caregiving burden on society and families but also support elderly individuals in living independently at home with dignity and a high quality of life. The standard, titled “IEC 63310: Functional performance criteria for AAL robots used in connected home environment”, provides a benchmark for the design, manufacturing, testing, and certification of elderly care robots, aiming to guide the global industry toward healthy development. Based on the level of assistance required by elderly users, the standard classifies elderly care robots by function and performance, including technical requirements for key functions such as communication support with family and medical personnel.

China has issued policies to encourage the development of smart elderly care amid challenges from the aging population. The latest data shows that by the end of 2024, the population aged 60 and above in the country was 310 million, accounting for 22 percent of its total population. This figure is predicted to further rise to 30 percent by 2035, with the elderly population exceeding 400 million by then. The issuance of this standard is expected to guide manufacturers to accurately focus on the characteristics and needs of the elderly in product design and enhance the quality of robot products, so as to nurture new growth drivers of the elderly-care robotics industry.

The following are some key points related to the standard: * The standard provides technical benchmarks for product design, manufacturing, testing, and certification of elderly care robots * It outlines requirements for elderly-care robots in areas such as accessibility, reliability, energy efficiency, and noise control * The standard puts forward technical requirements for health monitoring services, communication support, activity assistance, as well as information and data management * The implementation of this standard will pave the way for a new track in the elderly care robot industry, supporting the development of smart elderly care and improving the quality of life for the elderly population.