Japan’s elderly get a robotic teddy bear. If you’ve been following the constant news reports of robots being designed specifically for the elderly citizens of Japan, you might be a little bit surprised to hear that they would actually prefer stuffed toys.
At least, that’s what recent research has shown, and Fujitsu have been quick to capitalize on the news. They have already developed a teddy bear robot that looks just like one you can buy at a store, but comes equipped with touch sensors, voice and face recognition, and possesses more than 300 different responses that can be triggered. This seems to be a robot in direct competition with the Paro therapeutic robot seal. On one hand, it’s quite funny that Japan’s elderly would prefer basically advanced children’s toys than the latest in robot and A.I development, and to be fair I’m not certain how exact this research is. But if you think about it, it does make sense from a certain point.
[source] Fujitsu’s Teddy Bear Is a Social Robot. Teddy bears are not just cuddly creatures for kids at bed time.
Fujitsu Labs has developed a prototype teddy bear for adults that’s packed with some sophisticated hardware and can interact with and respond to humans. The stuffed bear is being called a “social robot with a personality,” and can make simple gestures, eye contact and small talk. The hope is to use them for “robot therapy” in geriatric medicine for patients that suffer from dementia, says Fujitsu.
Fujitsu’s teddy bear robot is reminiscent of Pleo, the green robotic dinosaur capable of displaying basic emotions through animatronics and reacting to its surroundings. Despite Pleo’s innovative approach and tech capability, the robot didn’t really become a mainstream sensation –largely because it was positioned as a toy. Fujitsu’s teddy bear robot comes with loftier ambition.
The robotic bears are capable of up to 300 movement patterns including raising its arms, looking downwards and kicking its feet. New Line Of German Stuffed Animals With Mental Illnesses. For your gift giving consideration: Dub the severely depressed turtle?
German toymaker Paraplush has designed a controversial new line of toys with an assortment of psychiatric disorders. The company advertises stuffed animals who suffer from a range of mental illnesses (bipolar disorder, depression, multiple personality disorder) and even come packaged with a personalized medical history and treatment plan. (More on Techland: The Best of Toy Fair 2010) “‘Patients’ from the Paraplush toy company include Dub the turtle with severe depression, Sly the snake who suffers from terrifying hallucinations, Dolly the sheep with a multiple personality disorder and a crocodile with an irrational fear of water,” writes Orange UK.
Each mentally ill Paraplush toy, designed by Martin Kittsteiner, retails for $38. Stuffed Animals with Mental Disorders. German toymaker Paraplush has released a line of cute stuffed animals that suffer from different mental illnesses.
Depressed Turtle Being an animal accustomed to a more relaxed pace, life in the fast lane has caught up with Dub, sending him into a severe depression. Psychiatric soft toys hit the shops. A German toymaker has unveiled a controversial new range of animals which all have psychiatric illnesses.
The toys - suffering from everything from bipolar disorder to acute depression - come with their own medical history, a referral letter and a treatment plan. "It started as a bit of a joke with my girlfriend who has lots of soft toys and then we thought there could be something in the idea," Martin Kittsteiner told CEN. Japan teddybear robot comforts elderly, snores. Japanese researchers have developed a cuddly teddybear robot designed to comfort the elderly and delight children by reading facial expressions and actions and responding to them.
The fluffy invention by Fujitsu is still being worked on, but the electronics giant rolled out the as-yet-unnamed prototype for an early glimpse at an exhibition near Tokyo this week. A camera in the nose of the bear can detect human faces and actions, such as waving of hands, while sensors inside its head and limbs can detect human touches and caresses. The bear can respond with more than 300 actions of its own, from giggling and laughing to waving its paws and taking a nap -- and even snoring. "We want to offer an object that can become part of the family, nursing home or school and that can benefit humans," a Fujitsu researcher told AFP during the sneak preview. "We really want it to look natural. " Explore further: Using robots to study evolution. Mentally Ill Stuffed Animals. A depressed turtle.A delusional snake.A paranoid crocodile.A sheep with multiple personality disorder.A hippo with autism.
At first glance, you might think these are cute. But go further and you'll learn that these furry animals are stuffed with stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness. Parapleusch - a European toy company - is selling these toys with the tag line "Psychiatry for Abused Toys". On the website, you can play an online game at The Asylum and give "treatment" to the toy of your choice. But be prepared for stereotyped crazy behavior, outdated and incorrect diagnostic labels, hallucinogenic drug reactions and the always insulting puppet-sock therapy. Several blogs have picked up on this story - so you might be hearing about this in mainstream media soon.
What do you think?
Teddy Bear Social Robot. Mentally ill stuffed animals.