Kawasaki Heavy Industries has co-developed nurse assistant robot “Nurabot” through a strategic partnership with Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturing services company from Taiwan.
Aiming for market launch in FY2026, they have been conducting verification experiments since April 2025 at the Taichung Veterans General Hospital, a national hospital in Taiwan.
Medical institutions in advanced countries are experiencing increasingly serious shortages of medical professionals, particularly nurses.
In Taiwan specifically, the challenging physical and mental labor environment has led to a critical nursing shortage, becoming a serious social issue.
To continue providing stable medical services to society, initiatives to reduce the burden on nurses who support medical settings are essential.
Nurabot is a specially designed robot based on “Nyokkey”, Kawasaki’s autonomous social robot, for the purpose of assisting nurses’ work.
Equipped with two arms capable of grasping objects, a cargo compartment, and self-driving functions, it can handle tasks on behalf of nurses, primarily including transporting blood test specimens, medication delivery, facility guidance, and hygiene education for patients.
This robot is realized by combining our technology cultivated in the industrial robot field, knowledge accumulated through social robot development, and Foxconn’s software development capabilities.
By incorporating the extensive clinical nursing expertise of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, we have been able to develop a robot that directly addresses challenges in nurses’ work.
The social robot Nyokkey, on which Nurabot is based, is developed as a versatile platform adaptable to various applications.
Beyond the industrial manufacturing sectors where industrial robots have traditionally been used, it can contribute to business efficiency and labor savings across service domains including nursing facilities, infrastructure facilities, restaurants, and medical fields that support life.
This application of Nurabot represents the first instance of Nyokkey’s utilization in medical fields outside of Japan.
Kawasaki will continue to pursue digital transformation and process optimization in the medical field through joint development and verification experiments of Nurabot with Foxconn.
Barry Chiang, president of business group B, Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), says: “I am delighted that we have co-developed the nurse assistant robot “Nurabot” with Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
“Our goal is to improve the harsh working environment that nurses face everyday and support them in performing their duties more efficiently and safely.
“Through verification experiments at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, we aim to confirm how Nurabot can be useful in actual medical settings and continue to make further improvements.
“By combining Kawasaki’s advanced robotic technology with Foxconn’s software development capabilities, we are confident we can bring innovation to medical settings.
“We will continue to strive to contribute to reducing nurses’ burdens and improving patient services.”
Yoshimoto Matsuda, president of precision machinery and robotics, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, says: “Foxconn has been working to develop smart medical solutions within Taiwan with a strong commitment to improving medical environment conditions.
“Meanwhile, Kawasaki has been promoting robotization in medical fields, primarily in Japan, and has long confronted challenges in medical settings.
“As partners sharing the same vision, we are extremely proud to have co-developed the nurse assistant robot Nurabot with Foxconn.
“We will continue to work together with full commitment, leveraging our respective strengths to refine Nurabot and provide a solution that significantly contributes to improving medical workplace environments.”
