Beijing Pushes Elderly Care Robots into Homes, Yet Three Hurdles Remain

In September 2026, six Beijing municipal departments jointly issued a document explicitly encouraging housekeeping platforms to participate in the development of elderly care robots, exploring a new "human-machine collaboration" model. Earlier, Beijing had included elderly care robots in its trade-in subsidy catalog, offering a 15% purchase subsidy.

Despite the escalating policy support, bringing elderly care robots into ordinary households still faces three major obstacles: high costs, insufficient technical adaptation, and an absent after-sales system.

The cost of advanced care robots often exceeds the budget of average families, while current models lack the flexibility to handle diverse home environments and elderly needs. Moreover, the lack of established service networks leaves users without reliable maintenance and support.

This article examines the gap between policy intentions and practical realities, analyzing the difficult transition of elderly care robots from the "arena" of exhibitions to the "living room" of homes.