Editorial:
Views over last 60 days: 286
Special Issue on Robotics for Gerontechnology
Yasuhisa Hasegawa
Associate Professor,
Department of Intelligent Interaction Technologies,
University of Tsukuba, Japan
Published:December 20, 2007
Gerontechnology, an interdisciplinary field combining gerontology and technology, deals with the QoL (Quality of Life) and technological environments in an aging society. This new technology is closely related to assistive technology for compensation, assistance, and care support and to universal design ensuring that products provide a comfortable and safe living environment for people of the widely ranging age. Assistive robotics also contributes to independent living and social participation by people of all ages and all capabilities based on physical and information support. Robots provide solutions that reduce the cost of care in later life and that sustain an aging society by extending the working age in society, consequently. This special issue focuses on robotics contributing to gerontechnology, presenting 14 papers and one note on the latest achievements in this exiting research area. Five papers propose assistive technologies for human motion. One presents a home robot system for setting and clearing the table. Four propose monitoring of activities of daily living (ADL). Two introduce caring systems for people with dementia based on robot therapy and a cooperative game. Two present requisite technologies for gerontechnology, i.e., motion analysis for motion synthesis, and aging effect of hand pointing action. The final article introduces reminiscence therapy using photographs and a PC for people with dementia. I thank the authors for their invaluable contributions and the reviewers for their time and effort in making this special issue possible. I also thank the JRM Editorial Board for the opportunity to take part in this work.
Cite this article as:Y. Hasegawa, “Special Issue on Robotics for Gerontechnology,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.19 No.6, p. 603, 2007.Data files:
Copyright© 2007 by Fuji Technology Press Ltd. and Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. All right reserved.
