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Tuesday May 23, 2006
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 Thanks to Lance Ulanoff for this writeup!
Paro, the therapeutic robot seal pup developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, is set to star in a Scandinavian film entitled "Mechanical Love." Giggle-worthy title aside, the film is actually a documentary that will highlight the robot's production and extraordinary soothing capabilities around the aged and infirm. More details on the film will be made public next week during the International Conference on Aging. I first met Paro three years ago in a small side aisle at the now-defunct Comdex show. The rechargeable-battery-operated, fur-covered robot, which I initially mistook for a simple stuffed animal, was so remarkable that it was a finalist in PC Magazine's Best of Show awards. Since then, developers have increased the robot's interactivity and fine-tuned its reliability. Version 8 costs roughly $3,500 and while most Paros have been sold to hospitals and nursing homes, some individuals have purchased them as pets. Will Paro's big black eyes and cuddly demeanor win over Ebert and Roper? Only time will tell... [Via Yahoo! Asia News]
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May 29, 2006 4:14 PM
$3500? Are they kidding? A cat over the course of its entire lifetime won't cost that much to keep and also has "extraordinary soothing capabilities." And it would probably last longer, too. That fake fur will probably get ratty within a couple of years. Is it removable and washable? With all the cats in shelters, people should be trying to adopt them rather than shell out for expensive gadgets that try to mimic the effect of real pets.