Paro robot set to bring its healing powers to the US
By Donald Melanson 
posted Apr 9th 2008 1:25PM
posted Apr 9th 2008 1:25PM
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]
[Via Far East Gizmos]
Just don't send these cuties to Canada or there won't be any left un-clubbed!
A $5000 seal robot for "therapy"? How much therapy can this thing do that a $5 plush seal can't?
Hey! we club becuase we care.
whatever.
Say that fur looks soft enough to turn into a coat. Where's my bat?
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.
put a bunch of these in a tank and they could write an episode of Family Guy.
those were manatees
Therapeutic benefits: Paro vs. Japanese nurse. Go!
www.seashepherd.com help put an end to the slaughter
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.
Our fate is sealed, we can all stop blubbering...
For $5000 it better cook and clean too.
Give a white coat and a Canadian accent to a Tickle Me Elmo and give me the $4945 dollar difference.
"It's an award from the Army, Mother! They put me on Hero Squad."
Be careful with that thing, or you'll get your hand bitten off by a "Loose Seal".
:-)
Mike
Buster always called it Army, never the Army, iirc
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.
the faux uniform he wore to the funeral was the best
Army, that's right!
And they're shipping out; no time for this now!
I smashed thousand of it on Warcraft 2.
For five grands, I would prefer an army of Pleos than this thing...
Ship them all to Brigitte Bardot!
Does it vibrate?
I thought nursing homes were all about Wiihabilitation.
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?
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.
Pet it if you're happy, club it if you're not. Either way it will continue loving you... or will it?