The verified answer
As of Aug 2026, DEPLOY verifies PARO Robots: 2 models. 1 source back the record.
CategoryCompanion robots
Overview
PARO Robots is a Japanese company developing PARO, an advanced interactive therapeutic robot designed as a baby harp seal for use in hospitals, nursing homes, and care facilities. Invented by Takanori Shibata at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), PARO is FDA-classified as a medical device and deployed in over 30 countries to provide animal therapy benefits for patients with dementia and other conditions.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
Key facts
Focus
Robot
Developer
Recognition
Customers
Technology
Inventor
FDA
Deployed in
Form
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Models (2)
View all models →Current platform
PARO
PARO is an advanced interactive therapeutic robot designed as a baby harp seal, FDA-classified as a Class II medical device. It is used in hospitals, nursing homes, and care facilities in over 30 countries to provide animal therapy benefits for patients with dementia, depression, and other conditions.
Previous platform
PARO
PARO is an interactive therapeutic robot shaped like a baby harp seal, developed by Japan's AIST; certified by Guinness World Records as the world's most therapeutic robot, it uses touch, light, hearing, temperature, and posture sensors to respond to people and is used in dementia and elder care.
PARO Robots on the deployment map
View the global mapPARO Robots has no verified deployments on the DEPLOY registry yet. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
No verified deployments for PARO Robots on the DEPLOY record yet. Track PARO Robots to know the moment the first one is verified.
Current leadership (1)
- Takanori Shibata Inventorsecondary-verified
Founders (1)
- Takanori Shibatasole
Safety record
No incidents on record for PARO Robots.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Recent coverage
PARO Robots in third-party press
Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- Ecovacs Robotics19 models
- SharkNinja14 models
- iRobot9 models
- Mammotion7 models
- Dreame Technology5 models
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- early
- Counterparty risk class
- moderate
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdJun 24, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJan 1, 2008
PARO at Denmark
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJan 1, 2003
PARO at Japan (JGSDF Trials)
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJan 1, 2003
PARO at Worldwide (30+ countries)
Sources (1)
Common questions
What is PARO Robots?
What does PARO Robots make?
Who competes with PARO Robots?
Who is the CEO of PARO Robots?
Where is PARO Robots headquartered?
Where does PARO Robots operate robots?
Is PARO Robots a top robotics company?
When was PARO Robots founded?
Is PARO Robots safe?
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-05
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-05
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for PARO Robots.Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- Ecovacs Robotics19 models
- SharkNinja14 models
- iRobot9 models
- Mammotion7 models
- Dreame Technology5 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning PARO Robots from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
California sued over policy that could free serial killers as Laci Peterson's friend sounds alarm
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Bay Area woman who tried to kill estranged husband found fit for parole
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Stripped stolen vehicles found in East Oakland chop shop: CHP
(KRON) -- Two parolees were arrested last month after they were caught running an illegal chop shop in East Oakland, according to the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate…
Scott Wiener launches Connie Chan chatbot
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- As the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi in Congress heats up, State Sen. Scott Wiener has launched an AI chatbot parody of his opponent, SF Supervisor Connie…
Corporate Philanthropy: Corporate Giving Flatlines
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US dad who gave gun to high school shooter gets 15 years in prison
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Inside the first-of-its-kind Enable Injections enFuse drug delivery wearable
When Sanofi won FDA approval in July 2026 for the first anticancer treatment administered with an on-body injector (OBI), the Enable Injections enFuse platform made it possible.…
Unitree G1 humanoid performs live animal surgery in study
A US team used a Unitree G1 humanoid for laparoscopic gallbladder removal on two live pigs, while precision, force and reliability gaps keep clinical use distant. The post Unitree…
Unitree G1 Humanoids Perform Teleoperated Pig Surgery
UC San Diego researchers used two teleoperated Unitree G1 humanoids to complete laparoscopic gallbladder removal on a live pig. The post Unitree G1 Humanoids Perform Teleoperated…
The Space Boom's Biggest Bottleneck
Money is flooding into the space economy, from SpaceX's record IPO to Blue Origin's first outside fundraising effort. But while capital is abundant, rocket launches are not.…
The Onion’s ‘Infowars’ Parody Is Here. Alex Jones Is Going to Hate It
The satirical site is fighting to officially take over Infowars. In the meantime, CEO Ben Collins says the new show will mock “how fucking stupid” conspiratorial brain rot has…
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/paro.md
- RSS feed: /companies/paro/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/dd74c39d-7a47-4efe-abb5-a9a9f0ed9c18
- Revision history: /companies/paro/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- Ecovacs Robotics19 models
- SharkNinja14 models
- iRobot9 models
- Mammotion7 models
- Dreame Technology5 models
Video
The 'tranquillity chair' is a fabric doll built into a rocking chair, designed to comfort those in desperate need of some understanding. It was showcased yesterday at the International Home care and Rehabilitation exhibi
Dr Elizabeth Broadbent introduces Wallace Chapman to PARO - the furry robot helping people with dementia.
Speakers: Takanori Shibata Chief Senior Research Scientist National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Robots: PARO Therapeutic rob
meet Paro, the robot seal (he's taking the world by storm) Health Psychologist Professor Elizabeth Broadbent and Mina talking about mental health, robotics, AI
PARO is an evidence-based neurological therapeutic seal robot that has been an FDA cleared Class II Medical Device in the US since 2009. PARO is built in an FDA
June 4 (Bloomberg) -- On "Weird Wall Street," Adam Johnson, Trish Regan and Julie Hyman look at bizarre business stories on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smar
The PARO therapeutic robot seal and Hasbro's JOY FOR ALL Companion Pet at The 2016 OPEN MINDS Technology & Informatics Institute, November 10, 2016
Star reporter Jennifer Yang travels to Japan to meet Paro, an advanced interactive robot helping people with dementia.
Reality vs attention
PARO Robots draws attention at the 83rd percentile but verifies reality at the insufficient-data level among companion_robot robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Clean safety record across 3 verified deployments. Meaningful press and media coverage across the period. Limited public funding data for capital position assessment.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Aug 17, 2026