Paro is one of the most sophisticated therapeutic robots, moving its head and legs, making sounds, and showing your preferred behaviour.
Article continues below
Paro Therapeutic Robot is an advanced interactive robot developed by AIST which connects the benefits of animal therapy and high-tech robotic technology. The main purpose of Paro is to be administered to patients in hospitals and extended care facilities where live animals present treatment or logistical difficulties.
Paro is the 8th generation of a design that has been in use in Japan and throughout Europe since 2003. Paro has five kinds of sensors: tactile, light, audition, temperature, and posture sensors, with which it can perceive people and its environment. With the light sensor, Paro can recognize light and dark. He feels being stroked and beaten by tactile sensor, or being held by the posture sensor.
Paro can also recognize the direction of voice and words such as its name, greetings, and praise with its audio sensor. Paro can learn to behave in a way that the user prefers, and to respond to its new name. For example, if you stroke it every time you touch it, Paro will remember your previous action and try to repeat that action to be stroked. If you hit it, Paro remembers its previous action and tries not to do that action. By interaction with people, Paro responds as if it is alive, moving its head and legs, making sounds, and showing your preferred behaviour. Paro also imitates the voice of a real baby harp seal.
The first production lot of 300 PAROs for US market will be available in January of 2009 at the list price of 6,000 dollars and the company will start taking orders on December 1.
With a long list of awards for Paro, including the certification from the Guinness World Record organization as the "World's Most Therapeutic Robot," Paro is recognized as one of the most sophisticated therapeutic robots. Over 1,000 Paro robots are being used all around the world with clinically documented results proving Paro's ability to mitigate the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease, other forms of dementia, and emotional complications stemming from the prolonged recovery associated with severe injury and illness. ■