In recent years, the rapid development of artificial intelligence has opened up unlimited possibilities for the development of social robots in the elderly care field. Emotional social robots provide digital and intelligent solutions to meet the emotional needs of the elderly. This study uses case analysis to explore 30 social robots, categorizing them into six basic types in the field of elderly well-being: companion robots, cultural and entertainment robots, information service robots, cognitive training robots, life cooperation robots, and integrated social robots. It also introduces Donald Norman’s theory of emotional design, analyzing and positioning different social robots based on the visceral, behavioral, and reflective levels. Furthermore, the study explores the functions and application characteristics of these six robot types across different stages of AI development, including weak AI, strong AI, and superintelligent AI. Finally, the paper discusses the potential challenges and ethical issues that emotional social robots may face in the elderly care field. This research offers a systematic discussion of the opportunities and challenges of emotional robots in elderly care, providing valuable insights for future robot development in this area.