The rise of robots in active assistive living

In a world full of uncertainties, one thing that is certain is that we're not getting any younger. And neither is the global population. According to World Health Organization (WHO), by 2050 some 2.1 billion people will be aged over 60, including 426 million over 80.

Recognizing the challenge to health and social systems that this will bring, the UN declared 2021-2030 the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, emphasizing there are many factors that can improve the quality of life as we age, benefiting society as a whole.

One of those is independent living, enabling older people to remain in their own homes even if they need some help. Assistive robots are increasingly used to support this, providing a win-win situation for all as health and wellbeing is enhanced as the burden on the health system is reduced. Reports show that in helping with everyday activities such as taking a bath or taking their medicine, they promote regular exercise and improve sleep, thereby reducing the risks of many diseases.

To support the safe and responsible growth of technologies related to assisted living, such as robots, the IEC established the Systems Committee for Active Assisted Living (IEC Syc AAL). It aims to promote safety, security, privacy and cross-vendor interoperability in the use of AAL systems and services.

It has recently published the standard IEC 63310 Functional performance criteria for AAL robots used in the connected home environment which enables manufacturers to consider the needs and characteristics of users and integrate these into its development, design and evaluationIt provides criteria and recommendations for product design and manufacture as well as testing and certification.

Use of the standard will ultimately result in robots that better meet the needs of users so they can live more independently in their homes. It will also provide a solid platform on which the technology can grow through improving market acceptance and facilitating industry growth.

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