{"id":4114,"date":"2026-06-30T15:53:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T07:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/origin.shaid.org.cn\/shanghai-elderly-frantically-snap-up-23000-yuan-nanny-robot-which-smart-hardware-is-worth-trying-for-the-silver-haired-generation.html"},"modified":"2026-06-30T15:53:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T07:53:15","slug":"shanghai-elderly-frantically-snap-up-23000-yuan-nanny-robot-which-smart-hardware-is-worth-trying-for-the-silver-haired-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaid.org.cn\/en\/shanghai-elderly-frantically-snap-up-23000-yuan-nanny-robot-which-smart-hardware-is-worth-trying-for-the-silver-haired-generation.html","title":{"rendered":"“Shanghai elderly frantically snap up 23,000 yuan nanny robot”? Which smart hardware is worth trying for the ‘silver-haired generation’?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cShanghai elderly frantically snap up 23,000 yuan nanny robot\u201c? Which smart hardware is worth trying for the 'silver-haired generation'?<\/h2><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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For some time, information about ‘robot nannies entering homes’ has been popular on social media, with earlier reports claiming ‘Shanghai seniors are snapping up 23,000-yuan butler robots.’ An investigation by reporters found these claims to be exaggerated: some are fictional dramatizations by self-media bloggers, while others overstate the capabilities of existing humanoid robots.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the demand for smart hardware like robots among the ‘silver-haired’ generation does exist. In Shanghai’s silver consumption themed stores or silver consumption zones in shopping malls, reporters encountered many seniors specifically asking to try smart hardware. So, for the elderly, which smart hardware on the market is worth trying?<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than pursuing ‘comprehensive’<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

it’s better to choose ‘small and refined’<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

‘A robot butler can cook, do laundry, and clean the house, and it costs only over 20,000 yuan’ \u2014 this is a common description on social media. Many posts also include videos showcasing the robot’s ‘many skills.’<\/span><\/p>\n

But a mature household ‘robot butler’ is still on the way. Reporters checked several widely circulated videos on social media and found they fell short of consumer expectations: some robots appear capable, but the bloggers have marked them as ‘fictional dramatization, for entertainment only’ or ‘AI-generated.’ Some videos are actually promotional films from companies or industry, serving as ‘concept demonstrations’ or ‘concept prototypes,’ showing the beautiful vision of robots serving families but without market implementation. Other videos are self-media ‘over-interpretations’ of industry news. For example, there are indeed companies launching entry-level humanoid robots priced at over 20,000 yuan, but such robots can currently only perform repetitive simple tasks like screwing bolts or sorting packages; to add complex functions like housework, secondary development is needed, along with installing parts for specific tasks, multiplying the cost of use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many ‘robot butler’ videos on social media are generated by AI (screenshot from the internet)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

‘For consumers, especially older ones, there is no need to pursue a ‘comprehensive’ robot butler. Instead, choose suitable smart hardware based on actual needs, because the market already has many products that can solve specific problems,’ said Ma Zhiwen, general manager of Shanghai Silver Hair Store.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the head of Shanghai’s first silver hair store under the guidance of the civil affairs department, she is very familiar with various smart hardware suitable for the elderly on the market. ‘Given the current state of technology and hardware development, humanoid robots still have many limitations in home services, while non-humanoid robots can help people complete many tasks, and their costs are generally lower than humanoid robots.’<\/span><\/p>\n

Ma Zhiwen gave examples: sweeping robots belong to this type of smart hardware, and with product upgrades, many have decent cleaning effects; delivery robots in restaurants, though not humanoid, can also complete tasks like delivering items as shown in many videos, but for many families, such services are not necessities. Therefore, for ordinary consumers, choosing smart hardware that meets their own needs may be more practical than a powerful ‘robot butler.’ ‘Even if you have a robot butler, due to current technology, the operation process can be quite complicated. Not to mention the difficulty for seniors to master it; even young people would probably need a long time to learn.’<\/span><\/p>\n

Many smart hardware products have entered homes (photos in this article, unless otherwise noted, are taken by the author)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

From market feedback, it is also those ‘small and refined’ smart hardware products that are more popular.<\/span><\/p>\n

At Shanghai Silver Hair Store, staff took reporters to experience a pair of smart glasses frames. In appearance, they are almost identical to ordinary frames, and lenses with corresponding prescriptions can be selected according to the user’s vision. At the same time, they can be connected via Bluetooth to other smart hardware like phones, enabling functions such as answering calls, listening to music, and listening to video audio.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reporters found in actual testing that the volume and sound quality of the smart glasses frames are good. The staff said that because of easy connection, simple operation, and an affordable price of a few hundred yuan, this smart glasses frame is very popular. ‘Although there are smart glasses frames on the market that can look up information and take photos, for many elderly people, the products they like are “subtractive” rather than “additive.” They don’t need some functions, and this smart frame allows them to not wear earphones, with simple operation, so it is popular.’<\/span><\/p>\n

Smart glasses frames designed for the elderly have relatively simple functions, but they fit their actual use well.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Feng Jin, distinguished professor at Fudan University and director of the Fudan Institute for Senior Economics, also believes that ‘the best is what suits you best.’ She suggests that the ‘silver-haired’ generation start from actual needs and choose individual smart hardware products rather than ‘comprehensive’ ones. ‘There are whole-house smart products on the market, but the overall deployment cost is high. Moreover, the elderly need a process to adapt and learn smart devices; overly complex operations are prone to errors, which can cause fear and ultimately lead them to give up using smart hardware.’ Therefore, making choices based on one’s own condition and life pain points is a more pragmatic and popular decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Online ‘seeding’ (getting interested) is possible,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

but be sure to ‘try’ offline before purchasing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Which smart hardware is suitable for the elderly?<\/span><\/p>\n

Feng Jin analyzed that the common smart products suitable for the elderly on the market can be roughly divided into four categories. The first category is physical function assistance products, such as health monitoring devices, smart hearing aids, and exoskeleton robots, which can help the elderly improve their quality of life. The second category is smart home products, including smart TVs and sweeping robots, which are the most used in daily life scenarios and can enhance home convenience. The third category is emotional companionship products, including chat robots and smart musical instruments, mainly to meet the spiritual needs of the elderly. Especially for elderly people living alone or with introverted personalities, these products can help them alleviate loneliness and enrich their spiritual life. The fourth category is smart hardware for disability care, some of which can fill the gap in manual care, while others can meet needs such as turning over and bathing for the disabled.<\/span><\/p>\n

She believes that the first category has the strongest demand attributes and is most worth trying for the elderly. ‘For example, in health management smart hardware, there are already multiple options like smart wristbands, smart blood pressure monitors, and smart mattresses. Users can complete health monitoring without realizing it, thereby improving the current situation where some elderly people neglect chronic disease management.’<\/span><\/p>\n

She also suggests that elderly people with hearing impairment try smart hearing aids. ‘When I communicate with the elderly, I find that hearing impairment affects their communication with the outside world. Long-term inability to hear clearly or at all can easily lead to feelings of inferiority and withdrawal from social life. This not only reduces the quality of life but also decreases brain activity, negatively impacting physical and mental state.’ Previous traditional hearing aids had issues such as unattractive design and loud noise, leading some elderly to be unwilling to wear them. However, smart hearing aids have now achieved technological upgrades, with features like AI noise reduction that can accurately amplify human voice signals and filter out environmental noise, improving the wearing experience and effectively helping hearing-impaired seniors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Health management smart devices are relatively practical<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

However, regardless of which smart hardware is chosen, industry insiders unanimously suggest: you can ‘seed’ online, but you must ‘try’ offline.<\/span><\/p>\n

In silver hair stores and silver consumption zones, reporters met many elderly people who ‘try it out.’ They look, touch, and use, but do not immediately make a purchase decision; instead, they ask staff one question after another: Besides conversing, what other functions does the chat robot have? The robot dog looks cute and is nice for walking, but does it have other practical functions? What is the principle of the exoskeleton robot? Can it really make the elderly walk briskly?<\/span><\/p>\n

How to use smart devices? Offline experience is recommended.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These questions, I’m afraid, can only be answered by ‘trying it out.’<\/span><\/p>\n

‘I want to try the exoskeleton robot!’ 82-year-old citizen Uncle Zhong walked into Shanghai Silver Hair Store and got straight to the point. With the help of staff, he put on the exoskeleton robot, lifted his legs, and walked around the store. Uncle Zhong loves walking and playing gateball with old friends, but after all, he is old; walking for a long time makes him tired. So, he has been ‘seeding’ the exoskeleton robot for a long time. ‘Maybe with the robot, I can climb mountains again? I want to walk more and see more!’<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the first time using the exoskeleton robot, Uncle Zhong felt a bit ‘awkward’: ‘When walking, there is a supporting force; when climbing stairs and lifting my leg, there is also an upward force, but it seems different from what I imagined…’<\/span><\/p>\n

The staff patiently explained that these feelings are normal: the exoskeleton robot Uncle Zhong tried learns the user’s personal habits such as stride length and step frequency, then provides personalized assistance; users can also adjust the assistance level. ‘You need to walk at least 100 steps before the machine knows your habits.’ The staff also said that exoskeleton robots come in different brands and models; trying multiple times is necessary to find the most suitable one.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘Silver-haired’ generation trying exoskeleton robot<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

‘Exoskeleton robots are typical products that need to be ‘tried,’ with sub-functions like assistance, exercise, and rehabilitation. Some elderly people are ‘seeded’ by online promotions and buy directly online, but then return them because they can’t use or get used to them. However, consumers who purchase after offline experience and comparison have a very low return rate.’ Ma Zhiwen said that the elderly often have a learning and adjustment process when using smart hardware; making decisions after full experience can better meet their needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘Looks good’ is not as good as ‘works well’<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The market already has a wide variety of smart hardware suitable for the elderly, but both professionals and consumers have found that some products are currently only ‘looking good.’<\/span><\/p>\n

Feeding robots are an example. Currently, feeding robots are on the market both domestically and internationally, used in scenarios such as care for disabled elderly. However, their capabilities need improvement: different elderly have different chewing speeds, but the feeding robot’s serving speed is relatively uniform and cannot fully match; to accurately scoop up food from dishes, the robot must use matching tableware, and the type of food and even the size and shape after washing and cutting are limited, otherwise the robot cannot scoop… The head of a senior care institution said frankly that after field inspections of many feeding robots, at this stage, manual service is still more practical.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feng Jin believes that this does not mean ‘letting robots feed’ is a false demand. Feeding a large number of elderly people in a short time is a rigid need for medium and large senior care institutions. Therefore, feeding robots are more suitable for institutions that primarily serve disabled elderly, rather than families or small institutions with few clients. In the long run, this simple repetitive labor can be fully completed by robots. However, the current problems show that there is a gap between the functions of some smart products and the actual needs, which places higher demands on the developers and producers of smart hardware. If developers and producers want to bring products to market, they must evaluate the actual effects, not just bring a beautiful concept to the market.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, many ‘good-looking’ smart robots on social media are still far from truly integrating into family life. For example, some cooking robots can automatically cut, stir-fry, and serve, but they have requirements for ingredient placement and quantities, and cleaning the equipment is cumbersome. Therefore, such robots are more suitable for large-scale catering scenarios like restaurants. Another example: folding clothes is a selling point for some service robots, but in practice, they have requirements for the shape, style, and even placement of clothes; the operation speed is not fast, and there are sometimes issues like recognition errors and folding deformation. They might be able to work on production lines or appear ‘perfect on camera’ during videos, but it is temporarily difficult for them to truly enter homes.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘These deficiencies also serve as a reminder to developers and producers of smart hardware \u2014 when technology has limitations, some ‘small innovations’ may be more practical than ‘big innovations.’ Ma Zhiwen gave an example: many sweeping robots currently have a remote pet monitoring function. When working, they can autonomously ‘walk’ around the house and take pictures of the pet, which the owner can view through a mobile app. ‘If a liftable rod is added to the sweeping robot’s camera, so that when needed, the camera can be raised one meter to take pictures, wouldn’t it also facilitate children remotely checking on their elderly parents?’<\/span><\/p>\n

During market frontline visits, many elderly people also expressed their opinions on the design and functions of smart hardware. For example, many elderly people like to chat with chatbots, but after a few exchanges, some are disappointed: ‘It can’t understand dialects. But asking me to speak Mandarin feels unnatural.’ Others say: ‘Its responses are just the same few phrases repeated; they sound polite but are useless. It doesn’t seem very smart, not as good as the human-machine dialogue models on my phone.’ Consumers’ intuitive feelings might also become the focus for developers and producers to update products.<\/span><\/p>\n

For traditional elderly-assistive hardware, there is also room for iteration. Taking the need for elderly travel as an example, exoskeleton robots are a new option, while electric wheelchairs are also evolving. Products lighter in weight and with more functions are also favored by the elderly. This is because exoskeleton robots and electric wheelchairs are not substitutes but differentiated products for elderly people with different physical conditions. Staff in the silver consumption zone said that exoskeleton robots are suitable for elderly people who are not fully disabled and have good basic physical conditions, especially those with needs for outdoor activities and long-distance walking. For elderly people with severe knee wear, significant difficulty in independent movement, or cardiovascular diseases, a properly functional electric wheelchair has a lower usage threshold and higher safety.<\/span><\/p>\n

A properly functional electric wheelchair is also very practical.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Practitioners also observed that some ‘silver-haired’ individuals have cognitive biases towards smart hardware: ‘Some think it’s too expensive, others think it’s too difficult to operate. They would rather spend a lot of money in some unreliable livestream rooms to buy “health foods” that have no scientific basis and not even health food labels, than buy smart hardware that can actually improve their quality of life.’ Feng Jin analyzed that this is because the merchants in those livestream rooms pay great attention to catering to the psychology of the elderly during marketing, while smart hardware manufacturers mostly focus on technological development. ‘Therefore, when promoting smart hardware, producers or distributors should also pay attention to user psychology and have empathy. They should not only talk about functions but neglect emotional communication. It is advisable to organize more experience and exchange activities, so that more elderly people can personally feel the value of the products and reverse cognitive misunderstandings and consumption biases.’<\/span><\/p>\n

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