The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) will compile global safety standards for nursing-care robots based on criteria provided by the Japanese government. Nursing care robots are designed to fulfill functions which help patients live independently and reduce the burden on caretakers.
The main functions to be covered in the initial set of standards are: (1) Providing walking assistance; (2) Helping patients to use the toilet; (3) Assisting caretakers with lifting and moving patients; and (4) Monitoring dementia patients.

Once standards are in place it will give a boost to full-scale production of nursing-care robots from all over the world but particularly from Japan.