Paro the furry seal cries softly while an elderly woman pets it. Pepper, a humanoid, waves while leading a seniors¡¯ exercise group. The upright Tree guides a disabled man taking shaky steps, saying in a gentle feminine voice, ¡°right, left, well done!¡±
Robots have the run of Tokyo¡¯s Shintomi nursing home, which uses 20 different models to care for its residents.
Allowing them to help care for the elderly ¡ª a job typically seen as requiring a human touch ¡ª may be a jarring idea in the West. But many Japanese see robots positively, largely because they are depicted in popular media as friendly and helpful.
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