It’s being called the strong robot with the gentle touch.

A company in Japan is experimenting with a nursing care robot affectionately called ROBEAR.

The cute bot is being developed to help patients around the hospital. ROBEAR can perform tasks like lifting a patient from a bed into a wheelchair or helping a patient stand up.

The robot has a number of sensors some of which include torque and tactile sensors made of rubber. That allows for ROBEAR to do power-intensive tasks without hurting anyone.

While the big bear looks cuddly, lifting him would be a feat. ROBEAR weighs slightly more than 300 pounds. 

The company says the bot could be a good solution for Japan’s urgent need for assisted living care. The country has a rapidly increasing elderly population.

One of the leaders of the research team says they hope ROBEAR can lead to more practical robots that can help alleviate some of the burden on caregivers.