Paro robot set to bring its healing powers to the US

It's already become a star in Japan, and it now looks like the therapeutic Paro robot is about to make its US debut at long last. That'll officially happen at the Robo Business Conference and Expo in Pittsburgh this week, after which the bots will be available "shortly" for $5,000 apiece directly from a new joint venture set up by Japan's Intelligent System Co. and Walter Weisel, a former head of the Robotic Industries Association of the United States. As in Japan, it'll apparently be primarily targeted at nursing care facilities, but we can't help but think that at least a few of the critters will find their way into the hands of some slightly more mischievous individuals as well.

[Via Far East Gizmos]

[YoJIMbo @ Apr 9th 2008 1:30PM]

Just don't send these cuties to Canada or there won't be any left un-clubbed!

[Chuckles McGee @ Apr 9th 2008 1:44PM]

A $5000 seal robot for "therapy"? How much therapy can this thing do that a $5 plush seal can't?

[Saad @ Apr 23rd 2008 9:13PM]

Hey! we club becuase we care.

[Mark @ Apr 9th 2008 1:45PM]

whatever.

[aeo @ Apr 9th 2008 1:31PM]

Say that fur looks soft enough to turn into a coat. Where's my bat?

[Flashpoint @ Apr 9th 2008 1:37PM]

put a bunch of these in a tank and they could write an episode of Family Guy.

[jmiday @ Apr 9th 2008 1:57PM]

those were manatees

[rcappo @ Apr 9th 2008 1:37PM]

Is that 5,000 Yen? Or did the dollar take a nose dive in the past week?

I would rather get an Aibo on eBay.

[CaptSaltyJack @ Apr 9th 2008 1:48PM]

Therapeutic benefits: Paro vs. Japanese nurse. Go!

[Calibur @ Apr 9th 2008 1:52PM]

www.seashepherd.com help put an end to the slaughter

[JC @ Apr 9th 2008 3:32PM]

What's red and yellow and looks good on hippies?

Fire.

Thank you, I'm here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

[Heathen @ Apr 9th 2008 1:53PM]

Our fate is sealed, we can all stop blubbering...

[Mel @ Apr 9th 2008 2:04PM]

For $5000 it better cook and clean too.

[Timmy @ Apr 9th 2008 2:14PM]

Give a white coat and a Canadian accent to a Tickle Me Elmo and give me the $4945 dollar difference.

[Hax Or @ Apr 9th 2008 2:23PM]

"It's an award from the Army, Mother! They put me on Hero Squad."

[Mike @ Apr 9th 2008 2:57PM]

Be careful with that thing, or you'll get your hand bitten off by a "Loose Seal".

:-)

Mike

[phanbouy @ Apr 9th 2008 2:57PM]

Buster always called it Army, never the Army, iirc

[Anonymoose @ Apr 9th 2008 3:17PM]

why would they let his hook be so sharp anyway? momma lucille must have really wanted him to literally have no balls when he was getting all riled up thinking about neighbor lucille, the maid, or the roomba.

[phanbouy @ Apr 9th 2008 3:46PM]

the faux uniform he wore to the funeral was the best

[Hax Or @ Apr 9th 2008 3:57PM]

Army, that's right!

And they're shipping out; no time for this now!

[Magallanes @ Apr 9th 2008 2:58PM]

I smashed thousand of it on Warcraft 2.

[IndiaTech @ Apr 9th 2008 3:10PM]

For five grands, I would prefer an army of Pleos than this thing...

[Nicolas Letarte @ Apr 9th 2008 3:24PM]

Ship them all to Brigitte Bardot!

[Adamwho @ Apr 9th 2008 7:06PM]

Does it vibrate?

[tekdroid @ Apr 9th 2008 7:59PM]

I thought nursing homes were all about Wiihabilitation.

[Jim A @ Apr 9th 2008 9:18PM]

For $5K they must fly you to Canada to club your own seal for covering...hence the therapeutic value, hiking, clubbing, skinning, then the obligatory sponge bath back at the old folks home... What will they think of next?

[peter_lu18 @ Apr 11th 2008 4:29AM]

I saw a documentary on this and other robots the other day. There was this elderly woman who took what I would consider to be too much of a liking to it, but I couldn't understand why. In terms of its behavior, I'd be hard pressed to believe that it was anything more than one of those toys you find at Toys R' Us which move every few seconds.

[bigwhitebear18 @ Apr 20th 2008 12:09PM]

Pet it if you're happy, club it if you're not. Either way it will continue loving you... or will it?