Enactic is developing Ena, a humanoid care assistant it plans to release in 2028

Japanese start-up Enactic is developing Ena, a humanoid robot meant to assist staff in elderly care, and plans to release it in 2028, ITmedia News reports. In October, engineers at its research site in Chiyoda, Tokyo, were testing the robot's arm, which took clothes out of a laundry net and folded them one by one.

The arm can also be operated remotely, and engineer Naoto Mori said it passes the force it senses straight back to the operator. Ena is to take on cleaning rooms, laundry and night-time monitoring, work said to make up about 30% of all tasks in care homes, so that staff can concentrate on bathing, toileting and helping residents move.

Engineer Yusuke Toki said the team is teaching the robot's AI the shapes of doors and slopes found in care homes so that it moves correctly. Japan's health ministry estimates that about 2.72 million care workers will be needed in fiscal 2040, about 570,000 more than in fiscal 2022.