The japanese population is aging and by 2015, the country will have 5.69 million people in need of nursing care. Lifting a patient from a bed to a wheelchair is very difficult so the researchers have manufactured a robot to help out.
The RIBA II (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance) is a robot developed by the RIKEN research institute that can lift patients out of their wheelchairs, onto a bed, and back again.
Check out a video of RIBA in action

Do you think robots are the future of healthcare?