The compact, convenient, and inexpensive minicars Honda designed for young families are being co-opted by Japan’s Seniors. As society questions how it will care for its elderly, the nation’s seniors are finding brands that will help them maintain their mobility and independence.

Since notoriously homogeneous Japan is reluctant to employ trained nurses from foreign countries, robotics engineers are developing elder-care robots instead. The country has to find a way to address its healthcare personnel shortage, but its ageing population is keen to look to tech.

Rather than winding down their working lives after they hit 65, more and more American Boomers are either in employment or looking for jobs. And while some are toiling out of necessity to cover everyday costs, others are taking up roles that let them try something new or feel a sense of community.

People become more physically and mentally vulnerable as they grow older – but they don’t want to be treated as such. How can technology be used to help make seniors’ lives easier and more sociable, enabling them to stay independent while bringing comfort to their relatives and carers?