Real-time engagement platform Agora, whose voice and video APIs power communication features across thousands of consumer and enterprise applications, is powering an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled smart cane developed by Lgenie, enabling older adults to interact with the device through low-latency voice conversations designed for outdoor and everyday use.

The collaboration reflects a broader shift in AI adoption, as developers increasingly embed conversational AI into physical devices across healthcare, smart homes, education, robotics, and mobility — rather than confining the technology to chatbots and software applications.

"The smart cane is one of the earliest examples of AI moving from screens into the physical world. The technology adapts to the person, instead of expecting the person to adapt to the technology," said Xiao Dong Feng, Agora's Physical AI Product head, in an email interview with BusinessWorld.

The AI-powered smart cane allows older adult users to ask questions and seek assistance through natural voice conversations while walking, without needing to stop and operate a smartphone or other screen-based device.

Mr. Feng noted that the primary challenge was not building an intelligent AI model but ensuring the device remains dependable in real-world conditions.

"An older adult doesn't judge the product by the sophistication of the model. They judge it by whether it responds when they're standing at a busy intersection, whether it still hears them when traffic is loud, or whether they have to repeat themselves several times before getting an answer," he said.

To improve reliability, Lgenie integrated Agora's Conversational AI Engine, which combines speech recognition, speech activity detection, and full-duplex voice streaming. This integration supports low-latency conversations, real-time interruption handling, and stable audio performance even under fluctuating network conditions.

According to Agora, the deployment achieved an average response latency of approximately 400 milliseconds — a threshold that approaches the natural cadence of human turn-taking — while also improving conversational stability and interruption handling during user interactions.

Mr. Feng emphasized that making conversations feel natural is equally important, as users should be able to speak the way they normally do rather than adjusting their behavior for the technology.

"Good AI answers questions, but great AI reduces hesitation. When people stop wondering whether the AI will understand them and simply continue talking, that's when technology begins to feel genuinely useful," he said.

He added that users who initially spoke cautiously to the device eventually became comfortable interrupting the AI, asking follow-up questions, and changing topics naturally.

"People don't consciously decide to trust technology. Trust develops when they stop thinking about the technology altogether," Mr. Feng said.

Agora noted that AI-powered assistive devices could play a growing role in countries such as the Philippines, where the older adult population is expected to rise in the coming years.

The company cited projections that the Philippines will become an ageing society by 2030, with people aged 60 and above accounting for more than 10% of the population. This trend mirrors a global demographic shift tracked by the World Health Organization, which projects that 1 in 6 people worldwide will be aged 60 or older by 2030, accelerating demand for accessible assistive technologies. Concurrently, smartphone adoption in the Philippines is projected to reach 92% by 2030, while more than half of mobile connections are expected to run on 5G networks.

Mr. Feng said AI should complement rather than replace caregivers by extending assistance beyond the moments when family members are physically present.

"Family members provide empathy, judgement, and emotional support that technology cannot replace. Where AI can make a meaningful contribution is by extending care beyond the moments when a caregiver is physically present," he said.

Looking ahead, Mr. Feng said the next phase of AI development will focus less on making models more intelligent and more on making AI dependable enough to integrate naturally into daily life.

"The best AI won't constantly demand our attention," he said. "It will quietly provide support at the moments when it's genuinely useful."

Through its partnership with Lgenie, Agora aims to expand the use of conversational AI across healthcare, education, smart home technologies, mobility, and other connected devices that require reliable real-time interaction.

— Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba