Kawasaki completes prototype of "Home LEO", a robot to help older people live at home; market launch planned for FY2028
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has built a prototype of Home LEO, a social robot that uses physical AI to move around the home on its own and support older people through conversation and monitoring. It plans to bring it to market in fiscal 2028 after field trials.
On October 6, 2026, Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced that it has completed a prototype of Home LEO, a social robot for the healthcare field. A social robot is one whose main job is to talk with and keep company with people.
Home LEO is meant to live alongside older people at home and extend the time they can live safely in familiar surroundings.
Physical AI that decides and moves on its own
Home LEO uses physical AI to recognize its surroundings and the user, make decisions that fit the situation, and act on its own. Kawasaki says it will move around the home and search for items, reducing everyday effort.
Main features (including functions to be added in future development)
- Conversation and monitoring: learns each person's habits and preferences through daily conversation
- Safety support: detects signs of trouble such as falls, changes in physical condition, unattended fire or visitors, speaks to the user, and works with family and caregivers
- Autonomous daily support: helps with moving around the home and finding things
- Links to medical and care services: securely collects data on conversation, behavior and health, and shares it with hospitals and care facilities with the user's consent and proper data management
Size and next steps
- Prototype size: 640 mm long × 675 mm tall × 390 mm wide (830 mm tall when kneeling up). As a prototype, this may change
- Next steps: field trials with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, local governments, medical and care providers and AI tech companies, with market launch planned for fiscal 2028
- Price: not officially announced
Where it fits in Kawasaki's robot line-up
Kawasaki has expanded its services for hospitals and care facilities with the hinotori surgical robot, the FORRO indoor delivery robot and the Nyokkey semi-humanoid. Home LEO extends that support into the home.
Kawasaki's humanoid robot is in this index on the Kaleido page.
Checked against the maker's official website on November 1, 2026.