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Furry Robot Reduces Depression in Japanese Nursing Home

Sat, 03/12/2005 - 1:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

Paro, a robot that looks like a baby harp seal and is covered in fur like a stuffed animal, is being used to provide therapy for some elderly Japanese nursing home residents. Paro has sensors to help it recognize its master's voice and hand gestures, and it coos and flaps at gentle touches and but squeals in anger if handled roughly. The developers state their purpose in creating Paro was to provide the benefits of animal therapy in environments where there are concerns about using live animals because of allergies, infection, scratching, and biting.

They state, "Almost everyone has touched or played with cats and dogs, so when they experience the robotic form of these animals, they can not help but compare the robot to the real creatures. If the robot does not respond in a familiar way or if it feels different from the real animal, people often become critical of the robot and lose the chance to experience its therapeutic qualities. We selected baby harp seals as the model for our robot because most people have not had any contact with such animals. When considering human-robot interaction, we envisioned a robot that could sit in a person's lap so that it could be held or stroked. That is how Paro came to be."

A March 10, 2005 article in the Washington Post said, "Researchers have been testing the robot's effect on the elderly at a nursing home in Tsukuba, about 40 miles northeast of Tokyo. During a recent visit by a reporter, the sad eyes of elderly residents lit up as the two resident robot seals were brought out. Tests have shown that the cute newcomers indeed reduce stress and depression among the elderly."

Read more about Paro at: http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/museum/science/6/6.html

Paro, a robot that looks like a baby harp seal and is covered in fur like a stuffed animal, is being used to provide therapy for some elderly Japanese nursing home residents. Paro has sensors to help it recognize its master's voice and hand gestures, and it coos and flaps at gentle touches and but squeals in anger if handled roughly. The developers state their purpose in creating Paro was to provide the benefits of animal therapy in environments where there are concerns about using live animals because of allergies, infection, scratching, and biting.

They state, "Almost everyone has touched or played with cats and dogs, so when they experience the robotic form of these animals, they can not help but compare the robot to the real creatures. If the robot does not respond in a familiar way or if it feels different from the real animal, people often become critical of the robot and lose the chance to experience its therapeutic qualities. We selected baby harp seals as the model for our robot because most people have not had any contact with such animals. When considering human-robot interaction, we envisioned a robot that could sit in a person's lap so that it could be held or stroked. That is how Paro came to be."

A March 10, 2005 article in the Washington Post said, "Researchers have been testing the robot's effect on the elderly at a nursing home in Tsukuba, about 40 miles northeast of Tokyo. During a recent visit by a reporter, the sad eyes of elderly residents lit up as the two resident robot seals were brought out. Tests have shown that the cute newcomers indeed reduce stress and depression among the elderly."

Read more about Paro at: http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/museum/science/6/6.html