PARO the helpless baby seal

PARO is perhaps the most famous therapeutic robot. It resembles a baby seal that requires human care. As such, it offers animal therapy in the hope that it reduces patient stress and stimulates interaction and socialization. Target patients include those suffering Alzheimer's disease.

Patients can pet PARO and talk to it. PARO responds as if it were a living baby seal, moving its head and legs, making sounds, and showing what behavior it prefers from patients. It even imitates the voice of a real baby harp seal.

Interestingly, helplessness become the main feature in this robot, whereas more commonly robot researchers attempt to overcome robot helplessness with all their might.