Thai-designed Dinsow2 robot to aid elderly in Japan

CT Asia Robotics, the manufacturer of robots for commercial use, has introduced the second version of its interactive automaton "Dinsow2", which will be exported to Japan next year for use in nursing homes and hospitals.

Dinsow2, developed from the original version launched a couple of years ago, will respond to various commands, including voice, QR codes and sign language and will also be able to communicate via a mobile handset. The new design also allows the robot to move its arms freely and naturally, quite similar to humans.

The production and development of this model cost about Bt10 million, slightly more than the previous version, which generated approximately Bt10 million in sales revenue after MK Restaurant ordered 10 robots last year. Dinsow2, however, has been designed for the medical industry, allowing patients to communicate with doctors and nurses as well as monitoring and assisting patients at all times.

Chalermpon Punnotok, CT Asia Robotics' chief executive officer, said yesterday that the company planned to penetrate Japanese hospitals and homes for the elderly in coming year. It is also expected to deliver its first Dinsow2 robot to Kluaynamthai Hospital by the end of this year.

Since the society in many developed countries like Thailand and Japan is getting older, Chalermpon said the company saw further opportunities in this market. For instance in Japan, the number of the elderly is rising while there is a shortage in nursing assistants. Japan has at least 30 million old people, three times more than in Thailand.

However, despite the rising number of old people in Japan, the cost of robots is still ten times higher than here, so the company has more room to grow and tap this market, he said.

Underlining this plan, the company is partnering with Japanese GMO Cloud, a leading cloud computing service provider, to start exporting the healthcare robot to Japan next year. This year, the company will start working on the "DinsowSpond" computing software to be installed in Dinsow2 for use in Japan. The user needs to download this software into a smart phone to open a communication link between doctors, nurses and the elderly via the cloud computing system.

In order to capitalise on this opportunity, Chalermpon is calling on the government to be more supportive, especially in providing financial support for further research and development to a company that is keen on such project development.

He added that he believed that at least one home in Thailand will have a robot during his lifetime.