The inaugural Beijing Intelligent Healthcare and Nurse Robots Application Competition took place on Tuesday in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (Beijing E-Town), coinciding with the launch of the IEC 63310 international standard for eldercare robots.
The competition showcased 53 products from 40 teams across China, focusing on five key scenarios of eldercare: rehabilitation training, caregiving, intelligent companionship, health monitoring, and public services. Participants represented cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Wuxi, covering the entire industry chain from hardware manufacturing to software development.
The competition broke away from traditional formats by introducing a pioneering "Direct-to-Market" model, designed to better match supply with demand through collaboration among government, industry, academia, research institutions, and end users.
"Participating in this competition helps boost our market recognition and brand competitiveness, enabling precise supply-demand matching and accelerating implementation," said Shuai Mei, CEO of Beijing AI-robotics Technology Co., Ltd.
The competition invited senior citizens to participate as judges, aiming to collect their feedback to ensure that the featured technologies meet their real life needs. One participant, a 73-year-old senior surnamed Zhang, said "Robotic care for the elderly is the future trend. I saw many specialized robots today that assist with walking and hand rehabilitation."
As the world confronts aging demographics, Beijing E-Town is leading the way in the eldercare robotics, with over 300 specialized companies and an industrial chain exceeding 10 billion yuan (US$1.39 billion).
"This event is not only a technical competition but also a platform for building the industrial ecosystem," said a government representative from Beijing E-Town. "We aim to promote research, application, and production through the competition, facilitating the transition of robotic technology from the laboratory to the frontline of eldercare, and ensuring it meets the real needs of seniors."