Humanoid Robotics Technology
SoftBank Robotics America is extending its strategic partnership with Direct Supply to accelerate the delivery of “best run operations” across senior living communities through the adoption of autonomous floor care programs.
Direct Supply was announced as an official partner in March 2025. Since then, the collaboration has rapidly evolved into a repeatable, enterprise-scale model with nearly 100 communities using over 100 autonomous floor care robots daily. The partnership focuses on the specific requirements of senior living communities, providing cost-effective solutions that enhance resident experiences, increase productivity, and deliver consistent quality outcomes. As labor challenges intensify across highly competitive markets with rising variable costs, and higher standards are required for quality of clean, senior living communities must find ways to innovate and leverage technology where it makes most sense.
“Robotics in senior living can’t be about technology for technology’s sake. It has to solve real problems for operators, staff, and residents. That’s why our partnership with SoftBank Robotics America is so important. Together, we’re pairing proven robotics with the support, training, and operational understanding needed to help communities adopt automation in a way that delivers measurable value today and creates a stronger foundation for the future of care,” said Justin Smith, Senior Manager of Innovation, Direct Supply.
Direct Supply’s deep experience in the senior living space along with SoftBank Robotics America’s proven experience with enterprise-grade autonomous solutions and adoption programs make this partnership a natural fit, and one that is built on a foundation of trust and shared values.
Mark Stoll, Senior Vice President of Revenue and Commercial Growth, SoftBank Robotics America, added, “This partnership is about delivering outcomes, not deploying robots. By combining Direct Supply’s deep customer relationships with our enterprise-grade deployment, service, and optimization programs, we’re helping communities achieve consistent, measurable performance, reallocating labor, improving the quality of clean, and creating predictable operations at scale. As the integrator of Physical AI, our role is to ensure these technologies deliver durable business value across entire portfolios.”
The business outcomes achieved as a result of the partnership are best exemplified with a recent case study. Sabra Health Care REIT, for example, is already realizing the benefits of an integrated robotic program within their operations. The program has enabled staff to be reallocated from manual labor-intensive floor care activities to higher-impact resident services, which has elevated resident experiences, resulting in new value.
Peter Nyland, EVP of Asset Management, Sabra Health Care REIT, emphasizes that the goal is to focus staff time on the most impactful tasks while using technology to handle routine cleaning, unlocking durable business value across communities as a result.
“We want our staff spending their time doing the most impactful things […], and vacuuming hallways isn’t one of them. We can […] engage technology to do that,” said Nyland.
“I am proud of the trusted partnership we have built with Direct Supply and excited to see how the Power of SoftBank Robotics can help a labor-stressed industry achieve high performance standards. This is also a solid foundation for Direct Supply’s customers that are on an automation journey which will leverage multiple robotic solutions to transform operations,“ said Brady Watkins, President and GM, SoftBank Robotics America.
In summary, Corey Denman, President, Direct Supply, said, “Technology is redefining senior living, not incrementally, but exponentially. We’re at a pivotal moment where innovation is driving meaningful advances in care, workforce efficiency, and resident experience across communities nationwide. The providers who rethink how they operate, not just optimize the status quo, will be the clear leaders going forward. Our partnership with SoftBank Robotics America is leading that shift, bringing proven solutions that transform how work gets done and set a new standard for the profession.”
Source: SoftBank Robotics America
