donut robotics has entered into a capital and business alliance with Japanese nursing home operator Charm Care Corporation to develop humanoid robots for eldercare applications.
Charm Care, which operates more than 100 private nursing homes in the Kansai and Greater Tokyo areas, will invest ¥300 million (approximately $2 million) in donut robotics through a subscription for newly issued shares.
The companies have already been trialing donut robotics’ “cinnamon” humanoid at a Charm Care nursing home since July 2026 and plan to expand its role from patrol functions to assisting staff with nurse calls.
When a resident presses a nurse call button, the companies envisage the humanoid going to the resident, receiving their request and assisting with the response, potentially reducing the workload on care staff.
The project comes as Japan’s rapidly aging population increases demand for eldercare while the industry faces persistent difficulties recruiting sufficient workers.
Donut robotics says cinnamon uses Vision-Language-Action AI to interpret its surroundings and language. The robot can also learn movements from videos of people and motion-capture data.
The company has filed a patent application for gesture-control technology that enables users to give instructions using gestures and finger movements rather than voice commands.
Its cinnamon 1 humanoid stands approximately 170 cm tall, walks on two legs and is being developed for manufacturing, construction, eldercare and security applications.
Taisuke Ono, representative director of donut robotics, says: “12 years ago, I founded the company because I wanted to create a small robot that could watch over my mother, who lived far away.
“It is deeply meaningful to see the robot I named cinnamon evolve so dramatically, and now have the opportunity to support elderly residents alongside Charm Care.
“With their extensive knowledge of care settings and their numerous eldercare facilities operations, together we can continue evolving humanoid robots in real-world care environments.
“Eldercare presents many challenges for physical AI, but I believe we must overcome these.
“There is only little that cinnamon can do now, but in a few years, I hope it will move in ways that are almost unrecognizable compared with today, enriching residents’ lives while reducing the burden on those working in care facilities. We will continue working toward that goal.”
Founded in Japan in 2014 and incorporated in 2016, donut robotics develops humanoid robots and AI technologies. The company says the Charm Care partnership will allow it to develop cinnamon progressively in real-world care environments, with additional support functions planned over time.
