Paro (Personal Assistive Robot)

PARO is an advanced interactive robot developed by AIST, a leading Japanese industrial automation pioneer. It allows the documented benefits of animal therapy to be administered to patients in environments such as hospitals and extended care facilities where live animals present treatment or logistical difficulties.

has been found to reduce patient stress and their caregivers
stimulates interaction between patients and caregivers
has been shown to have a Psychological effect on patients, improving their relaxation and motivation
improves the socialization of patients with each other and with caregivers
World's Most Therapeutic Robot certified by Guinness World Records
8th generation of a design that has been in use in Japan and throughout Europe since 2003

Five kinds of sensors: tactile, light, audition, temperature, and posture sensors (with which it can perceive people and environment)
Light sensor, can recognize light and dark.
Tactile sensor, feels being stroked and beaten
Posture sensor, feels being held
Audio sensor, recognizes the direction of voice and words such as its name, greetings,
and praise

Learns 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.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech...
   • Obama Test Drives Japanese Technology  
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/sci...
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/S...