Pravee Chanatchavarin, assistant chief executive officer, said the company would sell the robots in Thailand and Japan this year, after the first lot of product comes out in November.

“Many private hospitals, a big Thai family with senior people living with them, and Japanese [buyers] have already ordered a total of 500 Dinsow Mini robots from the company.

As a result, the company expects its income this year will double from less than Bt20 million last year,” she said.

Next year, CT Asia Robotics expects to sell more than 1,000 Dinsow Minis as Thai society pays more attention to elderly care and this robot is affordable for middle-income families.

Dinsow Mini costs Bt85,000. It was developed from the company’s Dinsow 3 model, which is larger.

Dinsow Mini has various functions that can serve elderly people who are alone at home. It can provide a motion-monitoring notification, make emergency calls, remind users to take their medication, and measure blood pressure. Its database contains a photo gallery, music and brain exercises.

Pravee said some private hospitals had ordered Dinsow Mini as an assistant to nurses looking after patients in private rooms. The company has foreseen a bright opportunity for more orders from private hospitals as well as from government hospitals, and middle-income families who have little time and too few people to take care their elderly folk.

CT Asia Robotics will also continue to promote the product in Japan as it is an ageing society. The company now has an agent in Japan to help distribute the robot and provide after-sales service.

The company has also been developing its robot to enable interactive responses, and the new model should be ready for commercialisation in three to five years.

CT Asia Robotics has initial capital of Bt15 million. It has been a software provider for 19 years. It shifted its focus to robot development six years ago, and produces Dinsow 3, a robot that can take food orders from restaurant customers.

The company’s clients include MK Restaurant, Muang Thai Insurance and Government Savings Bank. Dinsow 3 has also been exported to Sweden.