Rooted in a shared mission to enhance care and independence for people facing aging, disability, and chronic conditions, the symposium explored how AI and robotics can empower society by 2050. Researchers, clinicians, engineers, and industry leaders gathered for a lively exchange of ideas and technologies aimed at shaping a more accessible and inclusive world.
Imagine a world where wearable robotics restore independence, AI predicts your health before issues arise, and machines become empathetic companions. This symposium explored all that and more, through visionary keynotes, an engaging panel discussion, and intriguing live demos. What surprising innovation might redefine care next? This article invites you to explore how AI and robotics are reshaping lives and inclusivity.
Opening Remarks
A Call to Co-Create an Inclusive Future
Ms. Kyoko Marumo Suzuki, Head of the Science & Technology Office Tokyo at the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan, opened the symposium with a warm welcome and a powerful message: assistive technology is not only a scientific pursuit but a deeply human one. Acknowledging the collaborative spirit behind the event, she highlighted the Swiss-Japanese partnerships within Japan’s Moonshot R&D Program Goal 3, featuring two Swiss researchers, Dr. Diego Paez-Granados (ETH Zurich & Swiss Paraplegic Research) and Prof. Robert Katzschmann (ETH Zurich), who are contributing to projects led respectively by Prof. Yasuhisa Hirata (Tohoku University) and Prof. Keiji Nagatani (Tsukuba University). She also welcomed other speakers from Switzerland, namely Dr. Chris Awai (Lake Lucerne Institute) and Mr. Yasunori Toshimitsu (ETH Zurich). Her speech emphasized the universality of vulnerability, whether due to age, accident, or illness, and underscored the impact of developing inclusive innovations for all.
Following up, in a pre-recorded video message, Prof. Toshio Fukuda, Director of Japan’s Moonshot R&D Program Goal 3, shared the initiative’s visionary efforts to advance AI and robotics, particularly in caregiving and rehabilitation. Expressing hope for a healthier and happier future, he emphasized that these innovations are designed to meaningfully improve caregiving by 2050.
Science & Technology Office Tokyo, Embassy of Switzerland in Japan
Keynote Presentations
From emotionally responsive care robots to predictive health ecosystems and superhuman dexterity, the keynote speakers shared their visions for a future shaped by AI and robotics. Each presentation offered a distinct lens, scientific, ethical, and human-centered, on how future assistive technology might not only support but evolve alongside us.
Moonshot AI and Robotics: Toward a Future Society Coexisting with AI Robots
Prof. Yasuhisa Hirata, Tohoku University
Professor Hirata’s keynote opened with a provocative question: What if assistive care could be intuitive, adaptive, and emotionally responsive? As project manager for Moonshot Goal 3, he introduced the Robotic Nimbus® system, a fluid and responsive AI-enabled platform designed to evolve with users throughout their lives. Rather than focusing solely on functional support, he emphasized the concept of co-evolution, robots that learn and adjust based on a person’s physical and cognitive changes.
Central to his work is the redefinition of mobility and emotional engagement. Projects such as the COGY cycling wheelchair and VR-integrated rehabilitation experiences highlight how robotics can enhance independence and reinvigorate dignity. His project’s vision champions a future where machines are not just tools but personalized companions helping to empower individuals, enrich social participation, and promote lifelong vitality.
Empowering Preventive Medicine through Digital Twins
Dr. Diego Paez-Granados, ETH Zurich & Swiss Paraplegic Research
Dr. Paez-Granados presented a future in which healthcare is anticipatory, continuous, and deeply personalized. Through the use of digital twins, sophisticated AI models that reflect a person’s internal systems and behaviors, his framework enables real-time simulation, risk forecasting, and adaptive intervention strategies. These models can predict how factors such as nutrition, medication, or mobility might influence recovery or chronic conditions.
The scalability of his approach was anchored in wearable sensing technologies embedded in everyday items, from textiles to infant pacifiers. His lab’s application of explainable AI ensures that clinicians gain transparent insights into cause-and-effect relationships, allowing for more effective treatment plans. Ultimately, he advocated for a healthcare paradigm shift, from reactive to predictive, empowering individuals to remain active participants in their health across the lifespan.
From Micro-Muscles to Mega-Hands: Musculoskeletal Robotics Empowering Human Potential
Mr. Yasunori Toshimitsu, ETH Zurich
Presenting on behalf of Prof. Robert Katzschmann founder of ETH Zurich’s Soft Robotics Lab, Mr. Toshimitsu’s keynote explored the frontier of robotic dexterity and morphology. He demonstrated how biohybrid actuators and soft robotic hands are redefining mechanical functionality. Through printed bone structures, artificial tendons, and engineered muscle tissues, their lab replicates the nuances of human anatomy to create robots with both strength and delicacy.
Their research extends into industrial domains where dexterity is essential, such as construction and disaster response. The development of superhuman-scale robotic hands like Gigahand, capable of lifting heavy loads while performing fine motor tasks, embodies his mission to build machines that mirror human versatility. This project, part of the Moonshot program, is developed in collaboration with Prof. Keiji Nagatani from the University of Tsukuba and Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd., a Japanese construction company. The GigaHand was showcased to the press on August 7 in Tsukuba.
Scalable Health Analytics to connect the Hospital to the Home
Dr. Chris Awai, Lake Lucerne Institute
Dr. Awai’s keynote tackled the critical challenge of scaling rehabilitation in a world facing rising demand and shrinking clinical capacity. Through HealthCore, a digital ecosystem for post-acute recovery, he offered a framework for continuous, personalized therapy that bridges hospital and home environments. His vision focuses on data-driven optimization, integrating motion tracking, mood monitoring, fatigue levels, and cognitive assessments to guide interventions.
By validating AI-based assessments and developing learning systems for secure data sharing, the DART Lab led by Dr. Awai is contributing to the transformation of rehabilitation from a fragmented process into a holistic continuum. Their work illustrates how technological innovation can amplify therapeutic reach while preserving human nuance. At its core, HealthCore is not about replacing care but enhancing it, making rehabilitation accessible and more effective.
Benefits and Risks of AI x Robot Technology to Society
Dr. Takaaki Namba, Panasonic Holdings Corporation
Dr. Namba presented a wide-ranging overview of assistive robotics and the evolving landscape of AI quality management. He introduced Panasonic’s suite of care-focused robots, including robotic beds, autonomous delivery systems, and personalized rehabilitation tools designed to reduce caregiver burden and enhance safety in clinical settings.
His talk also addressed the societal risks of AI deployment, from data bias and hallucination to accountability gaps in autonomous systems. Drawing on Japan’s AI Quality Management Initiative and international standards, Dr. Namba advocated for rigorous evaluation frameworks to ensure ethical, transparent, and socially accepted AI integration. His message emphasized that responsible innovation must go hand in hand with technical advancement.
Bridging Cultures and Challenges in Human-Centered Innovation
The panel discussion brought together experts from Japan and Switzerland to reflect on the societal, technological, and systemic forces driving innovation in both countries. Dr. Diego Paez-Granados (ETH Zurich & Swiss Paraplegic Research) opened the dialogue by underscoring the shared realities between the two regions, most notably, the growing shortage of care workers. This challenge has become a catalyst for adopting transformative technologies that not only fill gaps but also reshape caregiving models.
A recurring theme was the importance of stakeholder engagement. All panelists agreed that meaningful innovation in health and robotics requires the active involvement of caregivers, patients, and community partners. However, motivation depends on tangible benefits. Technologies must demonstrate clear value, not only in clinical outcomes but in improving quality of life, workflow, and emotional well-being.
Dr. Yohei Kume (Panasonic AGE-FREE Co., Ltd.) highlighted the expansive role of artificial intelligence in this landscape. Beyond optimizing care planning, AI offers the ability to uncover latent needs and simulate future scenarios, guiding the development of new devices and services. Mr. Shinichiro Kataoka (NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting, Inc.) added that when thoughtfully designed, such innovations uplift not just patients but also those who care for them. Yet the panel was quick to acknowledge that data accessibility and interoperability remain persistent hurdles. Without systems that allow for secure and fluid data exchange, progress may stall.
Ms. Saori Haga (Sompo Care Inc., Future Care Lab in Japan) and Dr. Chris Awai (Lake Lucerne Institute) echoed the need for a cultural transformation, a move away from reliance on overburdened caregivers, toward a shared foundation of co-creation and continuous education. A truly inclusive future, they suggested, rests on empowering all stakeholders to shape and sustain change together.
To round off the rich content of the symposium, the live demonstrations brought the event’s theme to life, offering tangible examples of how robotics and AI are reshaping assistive technology.
Logging Human Life for Long-Term Interaction with Robots
ETH Zurich
Dr. Diego Paez-Granados showcased a multi-layered digital twin platform developed at ETH Zurich, highlighting how it supports long-term health monitoring and early intervention. Using wearable sensors and life-logging devices deployed in care facilities, the system collects granular data on motion, mood, and vital signs. Personalized AI models then analyze these signals to forecast clinical risks and tailor support strategies. His lab’s demonstration illustrated that predictive health is no longer speculative, it’s operational, accepted, and ready for broader application.
Prof. Yasuhisa Hirata’s demonstration of Moby, an AI-powered mobile assistant, reinforced the principle of co-evolution between humans and machines. Moby’s spatial awareness and responsive design allow it to navigate shared environments, offering assistance based on the user’s movements and immediate needs. It represents a new kind of robotic companion, one that listens, adapts, and encourages confidence rather than dependence.
Prof. Kensuke Harada introduced Nimbus Wear, a robotic garment designed to offer subtle, comfortable support. Using soft actuators and chainmail-like structures, the system adjusts stiffness and motion to assist with tasks such as stabilizing posture. Embedded sensors and motion detection components enable intuitive response to user intent. The garment not only provides assistance, it dissolves the visual and social boundary between user and machine.
Nimbus Limbs – Multi-Functional Mobility and Dressing Support
Nagoya University
On behalf of Prof. Yasuhisa Hasegawa, Dr. Jayant Unde presented a suite of Nimbus Limbs, showcasing their versatility in mobility and dressing assistance. These flexible robotic structures support sit-to-stand transitions and walking stability, particularly from low postures like squat toilets or floor chairs. A compact dressing arm was also featured, capable of safely lifting trousers using roller-claw mechanisms and torque-sensing controls. This innovation reflects a commitment to autonomy and comfort, making everyday tasks safer and more manageable.
Across the day’s proceedings, a clear message emerged: meaningful innovation in robotics and digital health begins not with algorithms or materials, but with empathy and orientation toward human experience. Whether through digital twins, intelligent rehabilitation platforms, or co-creative data ecosystems, each speaker reinforced the principle that technology should elevate, not replace, human agency.
The event underscored that challenges such as demographic shifts, labor shortages, and fragmented care models cannot be addressed by hardware alone. It takes adaptive systems, inclusive design, and sustained partnerships across disciplines and cultures. As Japan and Switzerland continue to collaborate across the Moonshot R&D Program Goal 3, this symposium reflected the growing momentum toward a shared vision: a society in which machines empower individuals, and innovation is defined by its capacity to enrich lives.
To mark the successful close of the event, Dr. Hideo Nakajima, Director of the Moonshot R&D Program, offered a celebratory toast. His remarks honored the depth of discussion and technological vision presented throughout the day. More importantly, he emphasized the significance of continued collaboration between Switzerland and Japan, expressing confidence that the bilateral partnership would not only foster innovation but inspire global progress in assistive care.
As glasses were raised, the atmosphere was charged with optimism. These discussions may have started at the Swiss Pavilion, but they pointed far beyond, toward a globally networked effort to elevate care, restore autonomy, and foster dignity through science.
