Paro is a robotic baby seal that is used as a pet and social interaction tool in many nursing homes because it seems to help elderly become more social and attentive, especially those with dementia.
However to some people using a robot like Paro for emotional support of the elderly is unethical.
As reported in the Wall Street Journal, robots of all types are starting to play a bigger role in elder care, especially in Japan. Use of robots for support tasks such as cleaning is alright for some people but they think the Paro has gone too far. What do you think??
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22 Jun 10 at 16:31
jcartermarketing
I think Paro is a great idea. Especially to create a sense of companionship.
I first saw Paro at the CES show in Vegas (2 shows ago). I was in awe by it. It responds to positive rewards such as petting etc. and also responds to negative feedback like spanking etc.
I’m not saying take away human interaction at all. I feel that’s something that is still necessary. But this “robot”, Paro, draws out the natural nurturing instincts in people who have lost all instinct/grasp on reality. If that is not a good thing, than I don’t know what is.