Photos show residents following moves made by a humanoid robot during a daily exercise class in a nursing home in Tokyo, Japan. The nursing home, called Shin-tomi, has used 20 different robot models to care for its residents since 2013. /VCG Photo

Apart from leading an exercise class, robots are deployed to help staff deal with daily tasks, which can save both time and labor. A caretaker wears motion assisting equipment to help carry a resident from a bed to a wheelchair. /VCG Photo

There are also some robots shaped as dogs or seals, which can be hugged much like real-life pets. /VCG Photo

Reliance on robots will increase in Japan in accordance with an aging population. According to an annual survey released in 2017, the number of people aged 65 or older had hit a record 35 million, which accounts for 27.7 percent of the total population. /VCG Photo