Japan — a country with almost a quarter of its population over the age of 65 — boasts the world's longest lifespan, and robotics researchers are furiously inventing new products to cater to this demographic. Introduced in 2006, RI-MAN is the world's first robot designed for lifting and carrying humans. (Although, as the current prototype can carry objects only up to 77 lb., or 35 kg, it's got a ways to go.) Developed by RIKEN's Bio-Mimetic Control Research Center, RI-MAN can also see, hear and smell — functions that could be helpful in signaling emergencies in elder clients' homes.