"Display a virtual road of your choice on the screen, whether it's New York, Switzerland, or my old hometown, and ride the 'Dream Bicycle.' The fun aspect motivates seniors to exercise." (Jung Kwangwook, CEO of Man&Tel)

Cycling exercise equipment that lets you ride on virtual roads, AI care robots capable of interactive conversation... AgeTech products are continuously evolving to motivate seniors to use them. However, since the market is still in its early stages, there are calls for government support to install these devices in senior centers and other places to increase accessibility and help seniors recognize the need for such technology.

The willingness to use AgeTech is increasing day by day. According to the Korean Senior Technology Acceptance Panel Survey conducted by the Kyung Hee University SSK Digital Aging Project Team, respondents gave a score of 49.6 in 2019 when asked if they would use digital healthcare devices, but this year the score rose to 67.0. The survey is based on a 100-point scale, and a higher score indicates a greater willingness to use the technology.

In particular, the willingness to use care robots is noteworthy. This year, the research team included questions about care robots for the first time. The result showed a score of 61.4, similar to digital healthcare. Care robots include not only robots for reducing the burden on caregivers, such as bedsore prevention robots and transfer assistance robots, but also robots that support emotional and physical health. Kim Youngsun, professor at the Department of Gerontology, Graduate School of East-West Medicine at Kyung Hee University, said, "The willingness to use care robots can be interpreted as average," and added, "However, considering that care robots are still in the early stages and most seniors have not experienced them, a score higher than half indicates a fairly positive perception."

Companies entering the AgeTech field are striving to develop products that seniors will continue to use. Kim Jihee, CEO of Hyodol, said, "Although there is a large senior population, there are few products and services for them in the industry, and they are overlooked as consumers," explaining her motivation for working in AgeTech. Hyodol sells the second-generation 'Hyodol' AI care robot equipped with ChatGPT for interactive conversation. Robocare has also integrated ChatGPT into its care robot 'Bomi.' Moon Jeonil, CEO of Robocare, said, "We surveyed the demand for conversation among seniors," adding, "It is also possible to recommend exercises tailored to the user's situation."

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‘Dream Bicycle’ by Man&Tel, selected this year for the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Smart Social Service Pilot Project, was tested in 2022 on 14 seniors aged 65 and over at Seoul Hana Smart Care. The results showed that depression scores dropped from 45 to 37.5 out of 100, while self-efficacy increased from 54 to 78. Dream Bicycle looks similar to a regular cycling exercise machine, but what sets it apart is the virtual road displayed on the front screen.

CEO Jung said, "When seniors fall and injure their femur, it often leads to death," adding, "Dream Bicycle is designed to both prevent falls and delay dementia." He continued, "By traveling to places they wanted to visit on a virtual road, we also aimed to improve depression."

However, for AgeTech to spread, it is important that seniors recognize its necessity. According to the Korean Senior Technology Acceptance Panel Survey, when asked why they do not use technology, seniors aged 60 and over cited 'not recognizing the need' and 'difficulty of use' as main reasons.

Industry insiders emphasized the need for increased government support. One insider stated, "The government and local authorities should more actively introduce developed products and services so that seniors can access them." He further emphasized, "If seniors can try the products themselves and see the effects at places they frequently visit, such as senior centers, it will help further spread the products."