DEPLOYDatabase

Robot model

PARO

companion robotresearchby PARO Robots

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…

Track PARO
Manufacturer
PARO Robots
Form factor
companion_robot
Maturity
research
Lifecycle
superseded
Website
parorobots.com ↗

The verified answer

As of Oct 2026, DEPLOY verifies PARO, a companion robot by PARO Robots (research). 2 sources back the record.

supersededSuperseded by PARO. The historical entry remains for reference; current coverage tracks the successor.

Overview

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.

Verified vs. claimed

Maturity stage
research(Lab-stage only; no commercial or public deployment reported.)
Sources on file
View all sources →

No verified deployments on file. DEPLOY tracks independently-sourced deployment evidence separately from manufacturer capability claims.

Key facts

Form factor

companion_robot

Sensor suite

touch, light, hearing, temperature, posture

Class

therapeutic companion robot

Specs

Class

therapeutic companion robot

Sensors

touch, light, hearing, temperature, posture

Height cm

57

Weight kg

2.5

To scale

Human175 cmPARO57 cm (1'10") · 2.5 kg

Data & sources

Research

1

Web sources

1

2 sources backing this record.View all →

Pricing

No verified price is on record for PARO. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.

How DEPLOY tracks pricing

Recent activity

Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.

Full change history →

Safety record

No incidents on record for PARO.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Sources (2)

  1. https://www.parorobots.com/
  2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8287345/

Common questions

What is 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.
How much does PARO cost?
PARO's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for PARO from PARO Robots. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
Is PARO actually deployed in the real world?
PARO is at the research stage: it exists, but DEPLOY has no verified real-world deployment on record. Manufacturer capability claims should be read as claims pending independent verification.
What are the specs of PARO?
PARO's recorded specifications on the DEPLOY registry: Height: 57 cm; Weight: 2.5 kg. See the Specs section for the full sourced set.
Who makes PARO?
PARO is made by PARO Robots, based in Nagoya, Japan, founded in 2003.
Can you buy PARO?
PARO is at research stage and is not yet available for sale.
What are alternatives to PARO?
On the DEPLOY registry, comparable companion_robot robots to PARO include ElliQ, BUDDY, Enabot Ebo X, Loona Petbot.
How does PARO compare to ElliQ?
PARO and ElliQ (Intuition Robotics · 4 deployments) are both companion_robot robots on the DEPLOY registry. PARO has 0 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
Is PARO a top companion_robot?
On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, PARO ranks in roughly the top 25% of companion_robot models tracked by the registry.
What is PARO's maturity stage?
PARO is at the research stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Research stage means active development without commercial deployments on file.
Is PARO still being made?
PARO has been superseded by a newer generation. The historical record remains on the registry for reference. Successor: PARO.
Where is PARO deployed?
No verified deployments of PARO are currently on the DEPLOY registry. DEPLOY records deployments only when verified at a named site with a primary source; absence may reflect pre-deployment, research, or manufacturer-internal use.
Is PARO safe?
PARO has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
What is the Paro therapeutic seal robot?
Paro is an advanced interactive therapeutic robot designed to stimulate patients with dementia, Alzheimer's, and other complex cognitive disorders. It provides emotional and social support for older people with dementia. Used in care facilities worldwide.
Paro: Advanced therapeutic robot PMC: Paro dementia perceptions study
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (1 primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-15

Verification posture

Verified

High confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-15

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: research

Lifecycle: superseded

Architectural position

Cohort: companion_robot

Sources by quality tier

1
unclassified
Unclassified source
1
primary-academic-peer-reviewed
Peer-reviewed clinical / academic

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for PARO.

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