[6 Trillion Market 'Care Technology']② Scoring 'Care Robot Usage' 61 Points... Increased Acceptability

Increasing Intention of Elderly to Use AgeTech
Companies Consider Product Sustainability
"Government Should Expand Pilot Studies to Improve Accessibility"

"We display virtual roads of desired places such as New York, Switzerland, or my old hometown on the screen and ride the 'Dream Bicycle.' The fun aspect motivates elderly people to exercise," said Jeong Gwang-wook, CEO of Manentel.

Cycle exercise equipment that runs on virtual roads, AI care robots capable of interactive conversations... Age-tech products are continuously evolving to motivate elderly users to engage with them. However, since the market is still in its early stages, there are calls for government-level support to install these devices in senior centers to improve accessibility and help elderly people recognize the necessity of the technology.

The willingness to use age-tech is increasing day by day. According to the Korean Elderly Technology Acceptance Panel Survey conducted by Kyung Hee University’s SSK Digital Aging Project Group, respondents rated their willingness to use digital healthcare devices at 49.6 points in 2019, which rose to 67.0 points this year. The survey uses a 100-point scale, where a higher score indicates a stronger intention to use the technology.

Particularly notable is the willingness to use care robots. This year, the research team included care robots in their survey for the first time. The project group found the willingness to use care robots scored 61.4 points, similar to digital healthcare devices. Care robots include pressure ulcer prevention robots to reduce caregiver burden, mobility assistance robots, as well as robots supporting emotional and physical health. Professor Kim Young-sun of the Department of Gerontology at Kyung Hee University’s Graduate School of East-West Medicine said, "The willingness to use care robots can be interpreted as moderate. However, considering that care robots are in the early stages of introduction and most elderly people have not experienced them, a score higher than half indicates a fairly positive perception."

Companies entering the age-tech field are striving to develop products that elderly people will continue to use. Kim Ji-hee, CEO of Hyodol, said, "Although seniors make up a large portion of the population, there are no products or services suitable for them industrially, and they are often overlooked as consumers," explaining her motivation to work in age-tech. Hyodol sells the ‘Hyodol 2nd Generation,’ an AI care robot equipped with ChatGPT for interactive conversations. Robocare also applied ChatGPT to their care robot ‘Bomi.’ Moon Jeon-il, CEO of Robocare, said, "We surveyed the demand among elderly people who want to have conversations," adding, "It is also possible to suggest exercises tailored to the user’s situation."

'AgeTech' image created with ChatGPT

Manentel’s ‘Dream Bicycle,’ selected for this year’s Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Smart Social Service Pilot Project, showed promising results in a 2022 empirical study conducted by Kyung Hee University’s Digital New Aging Research Institute with 14 seniors aged 65 and older at Seoul Hana Smart Care. The study showed a decrease in depression scores from 45 to 37.5 and an increase in self-efficacy from 54 to 78 on a 100-point scale. Although the Dream Bicycle looks like a regular cycle exercise machine, it differs by displaying virtual roads on a screen attached to the front.

CEO Jeong said, "When elderly people fall and injure their femur, it often leads to death. The Dream Bicycle is a product with two purposes: preventing falls and delaying dementia." He added, "By riding virtual roads to places they wanted to visit, it also aims to improve depression."

However, for age-tech to spread widely, it is important that elderly people recognize its necessity. According to the Korean Elderly Technology Acceptance Panel Survey, when asked why they do not use technology, people aged 60 and older generally cited ‘lack of perceived necessity’ and ‘difficulty of use.’

Industry insiders emphasize the need for stronger government support. One official stated, "The government and local authorities should more actively adopt developed products and services so that elderly people can experience them." He stressed, "If seniors can try the products and see their effects firsthand at places they frequently visit, such as senior centers, it will greatly help the spread of these products."