Paro is a "mental commitment robot," developed by Takanori Shibata, a chief researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. It can recognize people’s names and make sounds in response to being called. The film had its premiere in February 2009 in New York, where the latest US model of Paro was on display.
The film deals with a dementia center in Denmark, where the therapeutic effect of Paro is being verified, as well as with elderly residents in nursing homes in Germany and Italy who interact with Paro. The staff members at the nursing homes are initially skeptical that Paro will have any effect, but they gradually come to accept Paro’s effectiveness.
The film also introduces the workshop in Nanto, Toyoma Prefecture, where Paro is made. Paro not only incorporates today’s most advanced technology, but each one is lovingly made by artisans in the spirit of the traditional handicrafts of the city, which is famous for its washi paper, silk fabric, and wood carvings. Even Paro’s eyelashes are made individually by hand.
Paro, a Baby Seal Robot Born in Japan
