D-Link, best known as a maker of home routers and networking gear, is making a striking pivot: the Taiwanese hardware company is now betting on AI-powered therapy robots, with a target of shipping 100,000 units by 2027, according to Digitimes.
The move signals how deeply the AI hardware wave is reshaping companies far outside traditional robotics. D-Link has spent decades selling commodity networking equipment in a fiercely competitive market, and the shift toward therapy robots represents a search for higher-margin, differentiated products.
Therapy robots are designed to provide companionship and emotional support, often targeting elderly users, people with cognitive conditions like dementia, or those experiencing social isolation. The category has drawn growing attention as aging populations in Asia and Europe strain healthcare systems and create demand for scalable, technology-assisted care.
A target of 100,000 units is an ambitious number for a nascent product category — it would represent meaningful commercial scale, not just a pilot program. Whether D-Link can build the software, partnerships, and distribution channels to hit that figure remains to be seen.
The story matters because it shows that the AI boom is pulling legacy hardware brands into entirely new markets, and that elder care and mental wellness are emerging as serious battlegrounds for consumer robotics.