From Apple's Siri to Microsoft’s Cortana, technology companies are already developing digital assistants to make people's lives easier. SoftBank has now launched a humanoid robot in Japan called Pepper that can can gauge your mood and cheer you up when you're feeling down.

Technology is part of every aspect of our lives. But amongst the innovation, there are questions about what exactly we’re trading in for these advancements. Do smartphones actually disconnect us? Has Google made us stupid? And is making friends with robots messing up our kids?

Technology is increasingly integrating into the world around us. But with people placing more and more emphasis on 'true' artisanal creations, can automated coffee-maker Briggo Coffee Haus win over its target market of connoisseurs?

While the immediate future is unlikely to yield AI pseudo-human carers, the notion of robots aiding the elderly is closer than ever. All over the world – especially in Japan, where more than a quarter of the population is over 65 – technology and healthcare are starting to overlap.