PARO, the Robot Seal, Being Used as Intervention for Dementia

OPEN MINDS Weekly News Wire
Disability Support
PARO, a robot designed to replicate a six-pound baby harp seal, was introduced to the United States market as a treatment device for people with dementia or trouble socializing. The device was cleared by the Federal Drug Administration as a Class 2 medical device (which also includes power wheelchairs) on September 21, 2009, following trials conducted at several hospitals and institutions across the country. One facility, Vincentian Collaborative System (VCS), a Catholic healthcare and human services organization based in Pittsburgh, has been using PARO as one of many formal “interventions” used instead . . .