Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge 2026-2027 “Human-Centered Robotics for Longevity"

People are living longer than ever before, and throughout these longer lives they encounter periods of transition, changing abilities, new responsibilities, and evolving needs.

The 2026-2027 Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge invites students to explore how simple, affordable, and socially supportive robotics solutions can help people thrive at every stage of life. Challenges such as mobility limitations, chronic health conditions, caregiving strain, social isolation, cognitive changes, physical safety concerns, and financial constraints can appear at any age, yet many remain underserved by existing tools and systems. The goal is not to remove people from care, connection, or community, but to empower individuals and families by reducing burdens, improving safety, expanding independence, and creating new opportunities for engagement.

Students from all majors/fields of study are encouraged to submit a design. The goal is not to remove people from care, connection, or community, but to empower individuals and families by reducing burdens, improving safety, expanding independence, and creating new opportunities for engagement.

Areas that can be targeted (but are not limited to):
-Mobility and Physical Safety
-Caregiving and Daily Living
-Social Connection and Human Interaction
-Aging Infrastructure