People stand next to a humanoid robot from Unitree Robotics during the Global Developer Conference, organized by the Shanghai AI Industry Association, in Shanghai on February 21, 2025. Photo: VCG

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) recently released the China-led international standard for elderly care robots, which is based on the physiological and behavioral characteristics of the elderly. It provides benchmarks for the product design, manufacturing, testing and certification of various types of elderly care robots, aiming to support the sustainable growth of the global elderly care robotics industry. 

The functional performance criteria for AAL robots used in connected home environment (IEC 63310) focuses on the needs of elderly people for daily life and healthcare within a connected home environment. Based on the level of assistance required by elderly users, it proposes a classification of functions and performance for elderly care robots, the China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Thursday. 

In addition to general requirements such as usability, reliability, accessibility, energy consumption and noise levels, the standard also specifies technical requirements for various services provided by elderly care robots. 

These services include monitoring of health status and emergency situations, facilitating communication with family and medical professionals, assisting with household tasks, entertainment, home management, and caregiving, providing mobility assistance for outdoor activities and walking, as well as information and data management. 

Data from the World Health Organization shows that the global populations aged 60 and above are expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, including 426 million people aged 80 and above. 

With aging, individuals often face varying degrees of functional decline or even disability in areas such as perception, physical strength and cognition. The emergence of elderly care robots can ease the caregiving burden on society and families while enabling elderly individuals to live a dignified, independent and quality life at home.

The standard will guide manufacturers of elderly care robots to design products tailored to the physiological and psychological needs of the aged people. It is also expected to enhance elderly individuals' social integration and provide benefits for the global aging population. 

The release of the international standard comes as a result of the relatively mature development of this industry, signifying that elderly care robots are transitioning into industrialization and practical application, accelerating industry growth and market entry, Qi Peng, an associate professor from the College of Electronic and Information Engineering, Tongji University, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

The release of the standard was led by China and also resulted from China's significant development potential and momentum in humanoid robotics, Qi said. 

Qi also noted that apart from assisting with the daily activities of the elderly, emotional companionship matters significantly if care robots are to truly replace human caregivers in taking care the elderly in the future.