AI-Powered companion robots help ease loneliness among the elderly in East Asia - CNN
As of November 2025, over 12,000 Hyodol robots have been deployed to elderly people living alone across South Korea, primarily distributed through government and public welfare programs.
Key takeaways
In August 2025 Ubtech unveiled the Walker S2, an industrial‑grade humanoid that can autonomously swap its own battery, and demonstrated the robot in a multi‑robot training program at a smart factory. A few weeks later, in October 2025 Deep Robotics introduced the DR02, the first all‑weather humanoid with IP66 dust and water resistance, aimed at outdoor security, logistics and industrial inspection in hazardous construction environments. The same month SoftBank completed a $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB’s robotics assets and, together with Yaskawa Electric, rolled out an edge‑AI office robot that navigates using building‑management data and sensor feeds. In November 2025 Agile Robots SE launched Agile ONE, its first industrial humanoid designed to work safely alongside humans, while The Robot Report highlighted a surge of new humanoid models, including Agile ONE and a range of niche offerings such as 1X’s consumer‑ready Neo, a $20 k household robot that claims privacy safeguards and can perform tasks like loading dishwashers. Also in September 2025 Saudi‑based Humanoid released the HMND 01 Alpha, a bipedal robot that can begin walking within 48 hours of assembly and has already secured 19,500 pre‑orders and multiple proof‑of‑concept deployments for 2026. Meanwhile, analysts in China warn that the rapid proliferation of more than 150 domestic companies developing humanoids—spurred by strong government financing and high public visibility after the Unitree robots’ Spring Festival Gala performance—could create a market bubble, prompting the National Development and Reform Commission to urge a slowdown to protect genuine R&D. Contrasting this optimism, former NASA robotics chief Rodney Brooks cautioned in September 2025 that current humanoid hardware still lacks the tactile sensing needed for human‑level dexterity, suggesting that alternatives such as quadruped robots and non‑bipedal manipulators may deliver more practical value in manufacturing and logistics in the near term.
As of November 2025, over 12,000 Hyodol robots have been deployed to elderly people living alone across South Korea, primarily distributed through government and public welfare programs. Kim adds that around 1,000 more have been purchased directly by families, with the latest model priced at 1.3 million won (approximately $879). Today, the PARO robot companion is used in more than 30 countries, from Japan to Denmark, and a similar global expansion is already underway for Hyodol. The Korean company is now adapting its AI to different cultural nuances as it prepares to enter the broader market, with a commercial launch planned for 2026. This isn’t an isolated case. In a 2024 study, Lee reported dozens of seniors giving their robots affectionate nicknames, buying them baby clothes, and tucking them in at night. She also noted that this growing affection correlates with improved mental health, citing a study she carried out on 69 older adults that showed users had reduced depression and improved cognitive scores after using Hyodol for six weeks. “We found that users with mild cognitive impairment who regularly used the robot