The 150-kg (330 lb) artificial intelligence-driven humanoid robot called AIREC is a prototype future “caregiver” for Japan’s rapidly ageing population and chronic shortage of aged-care workers.

he met "Pepper": a so-called "companion robot" that can read human emotions. Yusuke Abe, a developer at SoftBank robotics, explained what Pepper could do, and why it was proving popular in Japan.