SINGAPORE: Mr Leow Cher Hwa never thought something as simple as walking would become a daily struggle.

The 66-year-old suffered a stroke in 2022 that left him half-paralysed. He spent two months in hospital, grappling not just with physical challenges but emotional ones as well.

"I was very pessimistic and depressed. I took it very hard for the first two months,” he recounted.

But things began to change for the better from August last year, when he was chosen to take part in a trial involving a new rehabilitation robot at the Lions Befrienders’ Active Ageing Centre in Tampines.

Billed as the first of its kind in the world, the Data-driven Robotic Balance Assistant (DRBA) is designed to help seniors with mobility challenges by catching them before they fall.

Using inbuilt sensors and artificial intelligence, the robot can instantly detect a loss of balance and support the user, potentially preventing serious injuries.

It was rolled out during a Zumba class with Mr Leow and fellow seniors on Wednesday (Jan 21), which was attended by Tampines Member of Parliament Charlene Chen.

As Singapore moves towards becoming a super-aged society, the robot’s developers hope the robot can be rolled out through community care groups to support rehabilitation and help seniors stay independent.

For users like Mr Leow, the DBRA has been a confidence booster. Strapped securely to the device, he is now able to take part in standing activities and even dance with peace of mind.

For community care providers, the benefits go beyond safety.

"DRBA allows them to come off from the machines or their motorised wheelchair, to be able to stand up and join in the standing activities. Otherwise, they’re only confined to chair Zumba and anything seated down, which means that it further weakens the leg muscles," said Ms Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders.

MAKING IT MORE AFFORDABLE

However, affordability remains a major challenge.

The robot is estimated to retail at around S$90,000 (US$70,000), putting it out of reach for most individuals and community groups.

To address this, the team behind it - led by researchers from Nanyang Technological University - is exploring a rental model for community health organisations.

"It has to be a price that the seniors are willing to pay, so we’re targeting maybe S$30 to S$40 out of pocket for them. But that’s not the real cost,” noted Associate Professor Ang Wei Tech, director of the university’s Robotics Research Centre, who invented the DRBA.

“The real cost should be between S$150 and S$200 per session, so that difference has to come from somewhere. Is it a government subsidy? Is it philanthropist money? That, we need to explore.”

He added that discussions with government agencies could follow once the current trial concludes.

“We shall see which is the best channel for us to propose this plan to the government. We know that there’s a lot of funding to allow the seniors to get active … Hopefully, we can have some success in lobbying for the government to support this effort,” Assoc Prof Ang said.

The team is also in the process of applying for regulatory approval.

Assoc Prof Ang said the team is looking to get the Health Sciences Authority’s nod by June, after which they can sell the DBRA in Singapore.

Looking ahead, researchers plan to develop a smaller version of the robot for home use later this year, potentially extending its benefits beyond community centres and into seniors’ homes.