Paro Robots U.S., Inc. will be distributing Japan’s Intelligent Systems’ artificial life form Paro in the US and Canada. Modeled after a baby harp seal, it is designed to provide therapeutic services to patients with Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia, and emotional complications stemming from the prolonged recovery associated with severe injury and illness.
According to the press release, about 1,000 Paro robots are being used worldwide with clinically documented results proving their claims of mitigating the symptoms of some mental illnesses.
The robot’s behaviors remind me a little of Pleo, Ugobe’s first life form. Unlike Pleo, though, Paro seems poised to be marketed as a medical device. Clinically documenting Paro’s successes validates its position in this space. Also unlike Pleo, Paro is designed to be carried or to be placed in one spot and left there. Paro’s sensors respond to touch and sound stimulus and its big baby seal eyes easily grabs users’ attention and pulls them into the experience. As Keepon has proven, all it takes is a pair of eyes and a little animation to get a human to suspend disbelief.
Colin Angle contends that Robotic Pets is a potential market citing the success of Furby with adults. He qualifies the success criteria a little by mentioning the failure of more expensive robots such as Quiro and Aibo; however, by positioning Paro in a medical space, Paro Robots case may be made for medical necessity in some patients and thus allowing for higher prices to be swallowed by insurance companies.
“I view Paro as the embodiment of the best technology that has been developed over the past 30 years integrated into a groundbreaking robotic device that has as its sole purpose the task of comforting human beings,” said Walter Weisel, Chairman and CEO of Paro Robots, US. “I could not be more privileged to have been asked to lead Paro Robots U.S. and bring comfort and therapeutic companionship to the health care community.”
The most profound and compelling part about the creation and likely success of Paro Robots, USA is it’s taking us yet another step towards robots’ assimilation into human society. It won’t happen in a flash. One day we’ll look up and notice that we’ve got robotic pets, spouses, and even bloggers.
