Paro

A socially assistive robot shaped like a baby harp seal, developed by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, designed to provide companionship and therapeutic engagement for older adults, particularly those with dementia. Paro responds to touch, voice, and light with movements and vocalisations, and has been deployed in dementia care settings where some residents treat it as if it were alive, deriving comfort from its presence. Paro is often cited as an example of how animal-inspired form can support social and emotional engagement without the expectation gap created by humanoid robots.