Pao is a care robot

I really want this robotic friend. He is very cute.  He looks like a seal stuffed animal. Well, it is but he can do a lot more.

Robotic helper is Paro a communications robot made by Fujisoft Inc. This mini robot is able to have simple conversations with the elderly to keep them company.

It’s called “Carebots”. Because Paro can help the care staff help at elderly homes. Elderly people often suffer from isolation and dimentia. Palro is set to be effective for those with cognitive declines.

Paro looks like one of those cute stuffed animals but it’s an artificial intelligence. Paro is an interactive robot developed by Japan’s leading industrial automation pioneer (AIST).

Studies on the effectiveness of animal therapies have been done by years and the company integrated the technology into Paro. Paro can detect light, tactile, audition, temperature and posture sensors. Paro can feel when being stroked. Just like a real animal, you can train Paro to behave in certain ways.

Paro blinks and even coos when touched gently.

It is important for elderly with dementia to have frequent interactions, so Paro has proven to be very effective to treat the symptoms of elderly’s dementia.

Animal therapy does help but for example, some people are allergic to cats and there is a liability associated with bringing animals to the hospital or a clinic. But if you use Paro, you don’t have to worry about it and just let the elderly take care of him and keep him occupied through close interactions with a seal stuffed animal.