Dhaka, Oct. 28 -- In a quiet robotics lab in north-west London, three black mechanical hands stretch and curl with human-like precision. No claws or pincers. Just joints where they should be.

"We're not building Terminator," laughs Rich Walker, director of Shadow Robot, as he proudly presents his company's latest prototypes. His vision is less sci-fi villain and more everyday assistant: robots capable of handling household chores and supporting the elderly.

That ambition ties into one of the United Kingdom's most urgent challenges. Social care services are under immense pressure. Skills for Care reported last year that England alone faces 131,000 vacancies for adult care workers. Age UK estimates nearly two million elderly people live w...