It has become important for the new generation to keep track of the latest inventions and technologies to help build better future, said Japan Ambassador Chihiro Apsumi.
He was addressing participants of a lecture organised by the Embassy of Japan in collaboration with the Japan Foundation and the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) to provide an opportunity to the students to learn about "Paro" and its usefulness in the field of science and as a form of therapy.
Chihiro said that the Embassy organised lecture to provide an opportunity to the students to learn about the latest invention-the seal-like therapeutic robot, "Paro", and its usefulness in the fields of science and psychological therapy. Ambassador said that science has influenced every aspect of human life in the modern world. Paro is the finest illustration that science relieves people not only physically but also mentally.
Dr Takanori Shibata, a Japanese robotics expert and Senior Research Scientist at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) Japan delivered a lecture on "science robot-life innovation with therapeutic robot, "Paro" here on Thursday.
He said that Japanese experts have been developing robots that encompass psychological, physiological and social effects through physical interaction. The appearances of these robots are that of real animals such as 'cat' and 'seal'. "Paro was developed as a therapeutic robot and can be used as a companion at homes and hospitals, elderly institutions, schools and so on", Shibata said adding that its appearance is that of a baby seal with tactile, vision, audition, and posture sensors and 7 actuators beneath its soft white artificial anti-bacterial fur. Moreover it has a behaviour of generation system that generates real animal like movements, he added.
Dr Shibata is the inventor of a seal-like robot named "Paro", the world's most therapeutic robot by Guinness book of world Records of 2002. He has received many awards including inventing the robot of the year by the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry Japan in 2006, the outstanding young person of the world award by the Junior Chamber International in 2004 and the Japanese Prime Minister's Award in 2003.