PARO is a unique emotional therapeutic assistance robot, which aims to offer healthcare professionals an easy-to-use tool to convey the benefits of animal therapy.
PARO is a Class 1 Medical Device, an emotional therapeutic assistance robot that has been the subject of 10 years of research and development in Japan, supported by numerous clinical validation studies. Unique in its design, ergonomics, weight and soothing features, it aims to offer healthcare professionals a simple-to-use, high-tech tool to convey the benefits of animal therapy to people with behavioral and communication disorders (Alzheimer's patients and related disorders), or motor and sensory deficiencies, by providing these people with an improvement in their well-being and quality of life in a non-drug setting.
PARO: a concentrate of technology
Covered in synthetic fur with bactericidal and fungicidal fibers, PARO is equipped with 7 motors, which allow it to move its head (up, down, right, left), blink, wag its tail and activate its two side fins. A multitude of sensors (touch, positioning, light) and 3 microphones (detection of the origin of the sound by triangulation) send information on how to interact to an artificial intelligence software, which adapts PARO's movements and intonation accordingly in order to proactively interact and provide an appropriate response. Through varied intonations and different movements, PARO can therefore communicate emotions such as joy, discontent or surprise.
Other benefits of PARO
PARO presents the recognized advantages of animal therapy (lowering of blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, reduction of stress and anxiety, prevention of depression, increase in confidence and social interactions, improvement of quality of life, etc.) without the disadvantages (anxiety due to the risk of scratches or bites, allergies, hygiene, possible mistreatment of animals, etc.).
