« We were initially concerned whether high-tech devices like robots would be accepted by the elderly. In fact, the results generally illustrate that such devices are highly accepted. »
Kohei Takeda, manager at NTT Data Corporation (Japan), unveils to H&TI the first results of the Sota demonstration phase. Sota is a humanoid robot designed to support the elderly.
The expert believes that Japan is leading the home care robotics market in Asia and could become the world’s number one in a few years.
Sota: a robot connected to the cloud to analyze data in real-time
You’re the Japan’s largest telecommunications company. Why have you decided to focus in home care robots?
Kohei Takeda: The NTT Group consists of many companies, including NTT DATA. As NTT DATA is a company that offers IT services, one of the corporate missions is to use IT to solve social issues.
The major social challenges that Japan must confront are an increase in social security costs and lack of nursing care workers due to aging and a decreasing birth rate. NTT DATA believes that with our technologies of robotics and AI, we will be able to provide solutions by introducing home care services, so we are striving for developing the field of robotic devices for home care.
How precisely works the Sota?
Sota is connected to the system platform (cloud robotics platform) on the cloud. All types of data collected by sensors are transmitted to the cloud for analysis. When the analysis results indicate that a certain action needs to be taken for user assistance, in response to instructions from the cloud, Sota takes action by contacting the user with a voice conversation and/or in cooperation with another device (such as a tablet) to assist the user.
We are currently in the phase of performing a demonstration experiment on a small number of subjects and still evaluating the accuracy. In the future, we will increase the number of subjects and conduct verification in coordination with concerned parties in the medical and nursing care communities.
Data Reliability: « The final diagnosis needs to be made by the physician »
Can you guarantee that health information (blood pressure and heart rate…) transmitted by the robot is reliable? Does a doctor confirm in a second time these information given by the robot to the patient?
Data reliability is an issue to be examined in the future. In Japan, a robot alone is not allowed to provide a medical service due to legal restrictions. Robot-collected data can be used only as reference information. The final diagnosis needs to be made by the physician.
Some people can be worried about the fact that a private company collects their health data. What’s your data privacy policy?
NTT DATA takes privacy issues seriously and exercises proper handling of health data in observance of laws, ordinances, and so forth. Privacy is an issue that is addressed differently depending on the country and the region. Detailed surveys and assessments need to be performed for each service territory to form social consensus.
For confidentiality reasons, Mr. Takeda could not talk about the budget allocated to the development of Sota project.
The robot gave elderly people a sense of security
You have started rolled out your Sota interactive robot in elderly care facilities to talk with and help care for people. Are the first results good so far?
The demonstration experiment results depict that conversations of the elderly have increased and they were given a sense of security. Nursing care workers said that they have gained new insight into the living situation of the elderly that they did not know previously.
Are patients really open to this kind of new devices?
We were initially concerned whether high-tech devices like robots would be accepted by the elderly. In fact, the results generally illustrate that such devices are highly accepted. According to the feedback, a monitoring robot does not make the elderly feel that they are being monitored and instead it gives them a sense of security.
The above feedback was obtained based on the demonstration experiment involving a limited number of subjects and limited cases of using devices. We believe that larger-scale experiments need to be conducted for verification.
Isn’t that strange in a way for them to communicate with a machine and not with a human person?
It depends on the person. There are people who like to be helped by a human, but there are people who feel that it is easier to ask a machine to do little things for them. For example, certain subjects of the demonstration experiment were usually hesitant to call a nurse because they felt they were disturbing the nurse. Such people might feel more comfortable making a robot do the work as the robot does not have emotion.
Future goal: improving the precision of the robot via artificial intelligence
What aspects do you want to change to improve the robot’s skills?
The following items are under consideration:
- to use the AI technology to increase recognition accuracy for more natural interaction;
- to enhance the accuracy of anticipating the user situation through comprehensive analysis of sensor information;
- to provide services beyond the features of a single robot through cooperation with various devices.
What’s your final objectives with this robot?
Our ultimate goal is to speed up digital transformation of the social system and client business in the various fields, including health care, smart city, smart home, and digital marketing, by means of the technology that enables free cooperation between various IoT devices, such as robots.
For confidentiality reasons, M. Takeda couldn’t talk about service and sales plans in regions outside Japan.
Japan: nursing care equipment with high technology could be applied within the nursing care insurance
Sota is cheaper than Pepper, the assistance robot developed by Japan’s SoftBank ($ 1 600), but it still costs about $ 800, plus a monthly service of around $30 for home use ($ 360 monthly fees for Pepper).
Don’t you think one of the problem with digital health is that health tech is reserved for the privileged?
Japanese government at least attempts to avoid that only a particular groups of people can receive benefits from the digital health system, and they are trying to examine that nursing care equipment with high technology to be applied within the nursing care insurance.
* The above prices are not service prices of our company.
Do you have some news projects in you mind in these specific market for the coming months or years?
There are multiple ongoing projects, but we cannot disclose the details.
The French company Aldebaran and Japan’s Softbank launched in 2015 the humanoid Pepper robot and we see there are more and more companies developing home care robot, in Asia but also in Europe and in the US.
What are the strengths of your device compared to others home care robots?
Our core technology is not a device itself. It is developed as a system platform technology that achieves cooperation between various devices for offering advanced services. Our strength is the ability to use this technology to propose the best solutions and conduct service and system development for client companies by forming an optimum team with numerous device vendors that can address different situations.
Japan’s Robot Strategy: the Japanese government’s plan to accelerate the development of robotics
Is the Japanese government interested in eHealth and in particular in the development of robotics in this field?
In 2015, the Japanese government has launched « Japan’s Robot Strategy, » in which the use of robotics is defined as an important national strategy. Medicine and nursing care are within the scope of the strategy.
A partnership with a public organization would be possible for you?
There is certainly a possibility that NTT DATA will participate in government projects in line with the strategy. In fact, since 2016, NTT DATA has been involved in « Robotic Devices for Nursing Care Project (subsidized development project) » under the auspices of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development.
« The demand for digital health, including robotics, will increasingly rise in the future »
What’s your vision of robotic in the healthcare industry in Asia and in the world?
Aging is rapidly progressing in industrialized nations in the world. Of the Asian countries, the progress is the fastest in Japan. In the next twenty to thirty years, highly populated nations, such as China and India, are also expected to have the impact of ageing societies. We assume that the demand for digital health, including robotics, will increasingly rise in the future.
Do you believe Asia can become the world leader in the home care robots market in the coming years?
Over the next several years, the leading market will likely be North America and Europe, where many industrialized nations exist. However, decades later, there is a high possibility that Asia will be the leading market due to a large elderly population and a high economic growth rate.
Do you believe Japan can become the Asian leader or even the world leader in the home care robots market in the coming years?
Japan is the most aged developed country with advanced technologies in robotics and related high-tech devices. Using such technologies, Japan can be the leader in this market, not only in Asia, but also in the world.
As aging accelerates, the number of people involved in nursing care services will become less than the number of people who need such services. The day will surely come when the employment of advanced technologies, such as robotics, is an absolute necessity. In view of the corporate slogan « Global IT Innovator, » NTT DATA will use IT technology to contribute to society and deliver new values to the clients and end users.
