"I'm putting up a so-called smart house as a display room, where the method will be applied to control many similar electronic devices such as a light, air-conditioner and television. Such a smart house will be suitable for the elderly who live alone if this can be put to civilian use," Duan said.

As complex equipment is not required, the cost of refurnishing such a house will be acceptable for ordinary Chinese families, Duan said.

"I always believe that scientific technology should be used for the people, rather than stay in the lab," Duan added.

"China is rapidly aging, and the physical functions of a paralyzed person will be impaired when they are confined to bed for more than six months. Machines designed to help the elderly will be urgently needed soon."

The professor and researchers from Maebashi Institute of Technology in Japan have also built a machine to assist walking.

The machine, which resembles a wheelchair, can analyze the direction of the walker with a force sensor installed in the handle. The sensor can pass on the intended moving direction to a power generator fixed to the wheels.

A video provided by Duan showed a Japanese grandmother who could otherwise walk only three or four meters now able to stroll around the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities in Japan.

Wang Jichen, an employee at a Tianjin nursing home, said many old people cannot walk long because their knees are weak.

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