AIREC
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AIREC is a humanoid robot developed by Waseda University under Japan's JST Moonshot Program, specializing in elderly care and medical assistance. Standing 154 cm tall and weighing 150 kg, it features bipedal design with advanced AI for real-time human movement recognition, force adjustment, and adaptive behaviors. Key capabilities include patient repositioning to prevent bedsores, assisting with dressing like putting on socks, joint rehabilitation, biometric data acquisition (heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature), ultrasound examinations, and basic cooking motions. Powered by deep neural networks for predictive joint movements and embodied intelligence, AIREC integrates multimodal learning from human demonstrations, enabling natural physical interactions, emotional expression, and semi-autonomous caregiving tasks in nursing environments. Variants like Dry-AIREC emphasize safe, pain-free support for daily activities, bridging the gap in Japan's aging society.
Quick Overview & Key Facts
AIREC is a humanoid robot made by Waseda University in Japan, launched in 2021 and built for elderly care (repositioning, dressing, rehab), medical exams (ultrasound), and biometrics. Featured in “Waseda’s AIREC pushes humanoid care robots toward teleoperation-first nursing tasks”.
- Dimensions
- 154 x 50 x 40 (cm)
- Weight
- 150 kg
- Mobility
- Legged (bipedal walking)
- Top speed
- 1.5 km/h (0.42 m/s)
- Handles
- People interaction, precision instruments
- Battery runtime
- 4 hours on full charge
- Charging time
- 3 hours
- Sensors
- RGB cameras, fisheye cameras, depth cameras, tactile sensors, force sensors, IMU, gyroscope
- Operating environment
- Indoor
What Can AIREC Do?
Core operational tasks and activities demonstrated or performed by AIREC.
Real-World Applications of AIREC
Industries, working environments, and deployment suitability for AIREC.
AIREC Capabilities
Inherent physical, perceptual, and cognitive abilities built into AIREC.
Image Gallery
Below images are from Waseda University's official sources
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Robot Specifications
Values without a Confirmed badge are compiled from public sources and may not be manufacturer-verified.
Not yet published by Waseda University: warranty terms, safety certifications, EMC compliance, IP rating, noise level, expected lifespan, maintenance schedule, firmware version and 7 more.
Latest News About AIREC
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AIREC vs Walker X, GR-3, U1 Series and Moxi
AIREC overlaps with these alternatives on Elder care and Healthcare. AIREC trails the closest alternatives on max speed, runtime and weight.
Industries and capabilities are tags, not scores: a tick means the robot is listed for it. Green marks the best figure in a row (highest max speed and runtime; lowest weight). Ranges are not ranked.
| Spec | AIRECWaseda University | Walker XUBTECH Robotics | GR-3Fourier Intelligence | U1 SeriesUBTECH Robotics | MoxiDiligent Robotics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industries | |||||
| Elder care | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Healthcare | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Household help | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Companion | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Capabilities | |||||
| Balance and stability | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Bipedal locomotion | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dexterous manipulation | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Fine motor control | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Max Speed | 0.42 m/s | 0.83 m/s | 1.39 m/s | — | 0.31–1.5 m/s |
| Runtime | 4 h | 120 min | 3 h | — | 8 h |
| Weight | 150 kg | 63 kg | 71 kg | — | 136 kg |
| Released | 2021 | 2021 | 2025 | 2026 | 2019 |
Notes such as conditions or alternate figures are left out and values are shown in common units; open each page for the full specs. Browse all Humanoid Robots
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Q1. What is AIREC, and what problem is it designed to solve?
AIREC is a humanoid robot under development by Waseda University in Japan's JST Moonshot Program, designed to address caregiver shortages through tasks like elderly care and household assistance.
Q2. What are the main capabilities and key features of AIREC?
AIREC demonstrates capabilities in semi-autonomous household tasks, nursing care, medical treatment, emotional interaction, and biometric data acquisition via physical contact.
Q3. Who is AIREC built for, and which industries can benefit from it?
AIREC targets caregiving and healthcare sectors, particularly for elderly support in aging populations, with potential applications in household and medical assistance.
Q4. Is AIREC a commercial product or still a research prototype?
AIREC remains a research prototype developed under the JST Moonshot Program, focused on advancing embodied AI technologies.
Q5. Is AIREC currently available for purchase, and when is it expected to ship?
As of 2026, AIREC is not commercially available; it is in research development with no announced shipping timeline.
Q6. How does AIREC actually work in real-world environments?
AIREC operates semi-autonomously in real-world settings by integrating AI for environmental adaptation, human interaction, and tasks like patient repositioning through physical contact.
Q7. When was AIREC announced or officially launched?
AIREC was announced as part of Waseda University's JST Moonshot Program initiatives, with development ongoing since around 2021.
Q8. How is AIREC different from other robots in the same category?
AIREC emphasizes embodied intelligence co-evolving AI and hardware for lifelong human companionship, differing from task-specific robots by targeting multi-domain semi-autonomy.
Q9. Does AIREC require additional development or customization after purchase?
As a research prototype, AIREC would require further development and customization for specific deployments, per program goals.
Q10. What is the future roadmap or planned upgrades for AIREC?
The program targets routine autonomy by 2025 and cooperative autonomy by 2030, aiming for evolved intelligence in human-robot interaction.
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