A smart companion robot that responds on demand, a walking-assistance robot that helps seniors move lightly, and an “AI Bianque” detector capable of performing traditional diagnostic methods like observation and pulse-taking—these were among the highlights at the 2026 Shanxi Silver Economy Expo held recently in Taiyuan.

Nearly 500 domestic and international companies gathered at the event, covering the entire upstream and downstream industrial chain of the silver economy and showcasing new technologies, products, scenarios, and business models.

Currently, Shanxi is at a critical stage of actively addressing population aging and fostering the growth of its silver economy. Data shows that by the end of 2025, the province’s population aged 60 and above reached 8.059 million, accounting for 23.54% of the total population; the population aged 65 and above stood at 5.5697 million, representing 16.27% of the total.

Multi-layered and diverse elderly care needs are accelerating their release, making intelligent and age-friendly products a crucial breakthrough in addressing the shortage of elderly care services.

Smart Products Enter Daily Senior Living

At the expo, a smart companion robot named “Xiaoli” became a crowd favorite. “Xiaoli, Xiaoli, help me measure my blood pressure,” an elderly user commanded after sitting down. The robot promptly initiated health monitoring, and within about 30 seconds of finger contact with a sensing area, indicators such as heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and respiratory rate were clearly displayed.

Han Xiao, assistant general manager of Senlikang Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., explained that “Xiaoli” integrates functions of emotional companionship, health protection, and safety patrol, offering services like morning greetings, chatting, entertainment, medication reminders, and schedule management. It also serves as a “safety guardian” for home-based elderly care, automatically contacting emergency contacts if it detects abnormal situations like a fall.

Another highly popular exhibit was the “AI Bianque Detector.” At the booth of Beijing Jingcai Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., a long line of seniors queued up to experience AI-powered pulse diagnosis. Following voice prompts, participants stuck out their tongues, opened their eyes, and faced the camera for analysis.

Within minutes, the screen clearly indicated each person’s body constitution type, along with specific dietary advice such as “eat yam and red dates, avoid raw and cold foods,” complete with accompanying dietary plans and acupoint massage diagrams.

Zhao Peng, general manager of the company, noted that the device uses 4D multimodal hyperspectral imaging technology to capture tongue and facial images, paired with dual-wavelength finger pulse detection to analyze pulse conditions. Combined with intelligent voice consultations, the information is uploaded to a cloud-based “AI Bianque Large Model” for comprehensive analysis, ultimately generating an assessment report that includes body constitution identification, health risk alerts, and personalized care recommendations to help seniors continuously monitor health changes.

The expo was not just a showcase for smart products but also a platform for direct interaction between companies and elderly users. Participating companies gathered real feedback from the “silver generation,” with consumer voices driving faster upgrades toward age-friendly products. “Feedback collected on-site mainly focused on ease of use and interaction methods,” Han Xiao said, adding that some seniors wanted brighter screens and simpler steps, while family members suggested adding dialect recognition and clearer voice prompts. “These opinions have clarified our direction for optimizing age-friendly design,” she stated.

Leveraging Local Advantages to Explore Unique Development Paths

As a comprehensive, multi-layered, and high-standard event for cooperation and exchange in the silver economy, the expo’s significance extended beyond product displays and supply-demand matching. During the event, organizers held over ten themed conferences and special cultural and sports activities for seniors, focusing on key areas such as locally made age-friendly products, tiered care services, Shanxi herbal medicine-based wellness, inclusive pension finance, smart technology for aging support, and high-quality travel and leisure for the elderly.

These activities showcased cutting-edge concepts and technologies in the silver economy, exploring new paths and models for its high-quality development. Leveraging local strengths in traditional Chinese medicine, cultural tourism, and smart manufacturing, Shanxi is forging a unique path for its silver economy.

Inside the exhibition hall, walking-assistance robots from Shanxi Qide Technology Co., Ltd. attracted many visitors who tried them on. Liu Xiaomei, a Taiyuan resident, slowly walked with the device’s assistance, noticeably lightening her steps. “It feels like someone is gently supporting my legs as I walk—it really reduces effort,” she said after the experience.

Guo Tongbao, general manager of the company, explained that the exoskeleton device is equipped with an AI adaptive chip that can identify gait speed and leg strength after just a few steps, quickly matching the assistance torque. It also provides timely feedback on small steps or irregular gaits, making it especially suitable for seniors with unsteady gaits. In his view, the walking-assistance robot is not just a tool for aiding mobility but also expands the activity range of seniors with limited mobility. “Some seniors wearing it can go to parks, shop at markets, or even pick up grandchildren from school. This has a positive impact on their physical and mental health,” Guo Tongbao said.

At this expo, 62% of participating companies were first-time attendees in Shanxi, bringing advanced domestic and international elderly care concepts, technologies, and products. This also provided valuable opportunities for local Shanxi companies to benchmark, learn, and seek win-win cooperation.

Sun Shuopeng, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and president of the China Aging Association, said that Shanxi has unique endowments in cultural tourism, wellness, and traditional Chinese medicine for developing the silver economy. He expressed confidence that the province will leverage its comparative advantages, demonstrate new responsibility and action, and make greater contributions to improving people’s well-being and driving economic and social development.

From smart technology empowering home-based elderly care to supply-demand matching creating new consumption hotspots, and from leveraging local strengths to explore new development paths, a vivid picture of the silver economy driving high-quality growth is unfolding in Shanxi.