Back in April when we blogged about robotic “healing pets” in Japan, we knew right away that we had to get our very own Paro, the robotic seal developed by Intelligent System Co., Ltd. in Toyama prefecture. Well, we finally did, and its pretty impressive.
Paro is an amazing piece of modern technology, designed as an interactive companion that can learn from you. Immediately out of the box we were blown away by the instant attachment it brought out of us, and had no choice but to treat it as a real, living creature. Aside from being incredibly soft (and dare we say…huggable?), Paro is incredibly interactive. It’s not meant to be a “fun” toy, but actually a form of therapy. If you check out the videos on Paro’s homepage, you can see the way interaction with it really brightens the lives of those who use it.
Under the fur, Paro has five kinds of sensors that give it information. It detects light (and gets sleepy when it’s night), can feel being petted and stroked all over the body, can detect when it’s being held, and has extremely sensitive whiskers. Temperature is also detected, and the audio sensor can perceive the direction of sound.
Paro expresses its emotions by moving its flippers and tail, but the head is the most remarkable. Aside from being able to make big head movements, the facial expressions Paro makes when interacted with have a true emotional quality to them. It’s something you really have to experience first hand to understand, and the video below demonstrates only a fraction of this. Don’t watch it if hearing two grown men fuss over a robot seal makes you uncomfortable.
Over time, Paro develops its own personality and can learn based on your interactions with it. If Paro makes a loud noise and you discipline it, it’s less likely to do so in the future. You can also change its name over time simply by calling it by the new name! There are too many features to list here, so we advise going to the links below to get the technical specs yourself.
See Paro’s Homepage
Buy your own Paro in the Online Shop
Michael is the Editor of JapanTrends.com and Director of the 
There’s a Paro robot at the Narita airport right outiside the ‘Handcraft Objects from Less-Fortunate Countries’ store. Interestingly enough, when the seal wouldn’t shut up, I slapped it on either cheek a couple times, and it didn’t say a peep for another 10 minutes.
Don’t abuse the robot :)
It is really cute.But someone thinks it is an orge.
It is a cute thing.Interestingly enough, it is a seal which can swim on land. ;)
My comment is White is VERY impractical with patients who must be cared for. It will get dirty quickly. Is it washable?
And if it sleeps at night, how can it be a companion for those who can’t sleep at night?