Paro Robot Therapy Seal Just Wants Your Love

Paro kann erlernen, sich in einer Weise zu benehmen, die der Benutzer bevorzugt, und auf seinen neuen Namen zu reagieren. Z.B. wenn Sie es jedesmal Sie Note es streichen, erinnert sich Paro Ihre vorhergehende Tätigkeit und an Versuch, um zu wiederholen daß die gestrichen zu werden Tätigkeit. Wenn Sie es schlagen, erinnert sich Paro seine vorhergehende Tätigkeit und an Versuche, um diese Tätigkeit nicht zu tun. Durch Interaktion mit Leuten, reagiert verschiebt Paro, als ob es lebendig ist, seinen Kopf und Beine, bildet Töne, und zeigt Ihr bevorzugtes Verhalten. Paro ahmt auch die Stimme einer realen Babyharfedichtung nach.

Paro, the world’s “Most Theraputic Robot” (seriously, ask Guinness), has just gone on sale in the US. Finally. I mean, there is a serious shortage of cuddly baby sealbots on the market right now. Paro (which stands for personal robot) originated in Japan, where about a thousand of them are being used to treat patients with Alzheimer’s and other debilitating physical and emotional illnesses. Each Paro is handmade, so each one is a bit different and can learn and respond to an individual name. They have light sensors, tactile sensors, pressure sensors, and audio sensors, and can respond to a variety of stimuli with sound and movement.

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 behavior. Paro also imitates the voice of a real baby harp seal.

A harp seal pup wasn’t chosen as a model for Paro just because it’s one of the cutest animals on the planet. Rather, it was a carefully thought out decision to choose an animal that people couldn’t directly identify with. If you have a robotic dog, for example, it’s far too easy to compare it to a real dog and end up disappointed (not that that necessarily happens). But since nobody has pet seals, that comparison (subconscious or otherwise) doesn’t take place, making it far easier for users to suspend their incredulity at the robot and develop an emotional bond with it.

Unfortunately, Paro costs about $5000. Honestly, I can’t help but think if you did a little bit of anatomical hacking on a Pleo and bought it a fur coat you might get better results for a lot less money. Paro is several years old, however… My guess is that we’ll be seeing a lot more companion robots like Paro in the near future, most likely originating in Japan and drifting over to the US just as Paro has done.