The retained manufacturer manual extract describes touch sensors and movement of the head, eyelids and flippers. This is documented hardware functionality, not an observed task result.
Source 1○ Not tested by ROBODROMO yetHome & desktop
Intelligent System PARO
A seal-shaped care companion for supervised interaction. It suits organised care activities; whether a particular care programme helps people needs separate evidence.
VersionMCR-911MD; figures from manual pages 21–22.Manufacturer source
Size and mass350 × 160 × 570 mm, width × height × length; about 2.6 kg including battery.Manufacturer source
Battery7.4 V, 2,450 mAh lithium-ion pack.Manufacturer source
Duration and powerAbout five hours fully charged; about 9 W.Manufacturer source
Recorded specifications, with their source limits. These are not our measurements. See all specifications and configurations
Price and availability
No current delivered price or availability has been confirmed here. Ask for a dated quote for the exact package.
Image and credit
Manufacturer image and sourceTest track0 attempts run
We have not physically tested this robot. The task plan below is a starting point, subject to the exact unit and supported functions.
See the proposed test trackOn the ROBODROMO
test track
Three proposed tasks. Ten attempts at each suitable task, with the outcome, time and human help recorded. Confirm the exact robot, software and safe setup first. These tasks are not evidence that this robot can do them.
Complete one documented interaction
Proposed task. 0 of 10 attempts run.
Repeat the interaction with the same setup
Proposed task. 0 of 10 attempts run.
Record all help needed to start and finish
Proposed task. 0 of 10 attempts run.
Pick a square to see what each attempt will record.
We will record the outcome, time, control mode, human help, safety stops, exact hardware and software, conditions and full video.
Proposed attempt; not run Only proceed if the exact unit supports the task and the setup is suitable. Keep remote control, scripted operation and autonomous operation separate. A completed attempt alone does not prove autonomy.What each square will show
Finished without extra helpNeeded a person’s helpFailedNot run yet
Keep the conditions visible
Name the control mode, surface, object or prompt and every intervention. Ten attempts are an initial result, not proof of long-term reliability.
Read our proposed test methodHow much do we really
know?
Separate our own tests from published claims and the limits of the evidence. The counts below describe records, not performance or confidence scores.
Tested by ROBODROMO
We have not physically tested this robot. No performance score or measured attempt is available.
See the proposed test track01 / The assessment
What the evidence supports.
Capability and readiness are separate. These written findings are not a numerical rating or a physical test.
Capability
What can it actually do?
PARO is a care companion for supervised interaction. Its physical interaction is a different question from whether a particular care programme benefits its participants. This profile establishes a research route for the device, not a treatment recommendation or a clinical result.
Read the source-based assessmentReadiness
Could you use it in real life?
Intended use: Tactile care-companion interaction. Dependable everyday use has not been established by the evidence reviewed. Device behaviour and clinical outcomes are separate questions. Match the supplied revision and staff training to the manual.
Read the source-based assessmentA clear limit
This is a research profile based on the sources below, not a hands-on test. Maker claims remain attributed to the maker; they do not prove repeatable performance in your home or workplace.
02 / Can it actually do it?
The claims, with their context.
The wording below keeps each source’s limits. A demonstration, a maker’s claim and a repeatable real-world result are different things.
The indexed manufacturer manual cover names PARO and identifiers MCR-900 and MCR-A888; their current orderability and relation to any particular unit are unverified.
Source 4Check the original sources
Every source keeps its original check date. Manufacturer information, research configurations and independent observations have different limits.
Open the source listKnow the exact robot
The name alone may not tell you which hardware, software or support you get. Keep editions and optional equipment separate.
Specifications and configuration
Technical reference
Specifications and configuration
The figures and features below come from the named sources. They are not independent measurements. Optional hardware and conflicting revisions are kept separate.
| Item | Documented detail | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Sensing and movement | The retained manufacturer manual extract describes touch sensors and movement of the head, eyelids and flippers. This is documented hardware functionality, not an observed task result. | Source 1 |
| Documented identifiers | The indexed manufacturer manual cover names PARO and identifiers MCR-900 and MCR-A888; their current orderability and relation to any particular unit are unverified. | Source 4 |
An omitted measurement is unknown in this review, not zero or unsupported. Check the exact hardware edition and documentation before ordering or designing around it.
MCR-911MD; figures from manual pages 21–22.
Manufacturer source350 × 160 × 570 mm, width × height × length; about 2.6 kg including battery.
Manufacturer source7.4 V, 2,450 mAh lithium-ion pack.
Manufacturer sourceAbout five hours fully charged; about 9 W.
Manufacturer source5–35°C; 40–85% humidity without condensation.
Manufacturer sourceThree years stated in this manual; not a three-year warranty.
Manufacturer sourceThe exact model and configuration
The exact model
Meet Intelligent System PARO
The PARO manual extract checked does not establish the exact hardware revision currently supplied. Before buying, confirm that the model identifier, supplied manual and regional support route refer to the same version. For this family-level profile, the maker manual search extract names MCR-900 and MCR-A888; it does not identify which is supplied today. Treat these as documented manual identifiers, not verified current catalogue or fitment. The family reference does not assign a generation. The cover does not establish the respective roles of these identifiers; in particular, MCR-A888 must not be classified as another robot model from the cover alone.
Further assessment notes
Setup, support and daily use
04 / Living with it
Right robot, right expectations.
What ownership could involve
A care setting should review the whole handling routine: who introduces the device, who supervises each session, who charges it and who cleans it between users. The relevant cleaning instructions must belong to the supplied revision. Avoid inventing a universal cleaning method from an older manual. For a future review, record acceptance and refusal as well as successful interactions, and separate a participant’s immediate response from any longer-term outcome. Current price, repair arrangements and regional supply remain unverified. A home purchaser would also need a practical route for maintenance and replacement power equipment. The indexed PARO contact page names Sense Medical for the UK and Ireland. However, the reviewed Sense Medical support extract concerns Canon ophthalmic devices and does not establish PARO service or warranty. Treat this as an enquiry lead only, not a verified repair route. No enquiry was sent.
Support, software and repairs
Use the distributor’s customer-support leaflet and exact serial/model reference for service. The manual prohibits immersion and unauthorised dismantling; follow its maintenance and battery instructions. Confirm the correct regional adaptor, care procedure and service cover. Clinical suitability and device status are separate from these hardware figures; this profile is not a treatment recommendation.
Questions still open
What needs checking before you decide.
- An updated distributor manual was reviewed on 31 October 2026. The exact revision currently supplied, training arrangements and regional warranty still need confirmation. No clinical outcome or general suitability conclusion is made.
- No clinical outcome, regulatory status or general suitability conclusion is made.
- Dimensions and runtime from an unidentified manual revision are not promoted to current specifications.
- Fresh direct requests for the PARO maintenance/contact pages timed out and its homepage failed. Search visibility is not confirmation of current unit supply, maintenance terms or generation.
- The manual cover does not establish whether MCR-A888 identifies a robot or another item; an adapter listing is a secondary lead only, not a verified classification.
See it in action
Our filmed attempts will appear after testing. Existing footage below keeps its original description and limitations.
See the robot
The Invasion of Cute, Therapeutic Robots
Play video
Published by IEEE Spectrum. IEEE Spectrum report includes therapeutic companion robots. It is context, not evidence of clinical outcomes or suitability for an individual. This is third-party coverage, not a Robodromo test or endorsement.
Before you buy
Get these answered in writing by the seller. Tick them off as you go.
0 of 6 answered
Your checklist records your progress. A tick is not verification by ROBODROMO.
Sources and checks
A check date tells you when a source was read. It does not mean every claim, price or offer is unchanged today.
Sources and checks
03 / Recorded evidence
The latest checks on file.
Dates below describe the recorded checks. They do not mean the manufacturer’s page was checked today.
- parorobots.com Source checked 2026-10-26
-
parorobots.com
Indexed UK/Ireland contact entry
Source checked 2026-10-28 -
sensemedical.co.uk
Indexed support page scoped to Canon ophthalmic devices
Source checked 2026-10-28 -
parorobots.com
Indexed manual search extract cover: PARO, MCR-900 and MCR-A888; direct manual timed out
Source checked 2026-10-28 - Manufacturer specifications and support Source checked 2026-10-31
-
Video and publisher attribution
YouTube title and publisher checked against the named model. IEEE Spectrum report includes therapeutic companion robots. It is context, not evidence of clinical outcomes or suitability for an individual. Not watched in full; not an independent performance assessment.
Source checked 2026-10-31
No recorded sources in this filter.
How sure are we?
6 linked sources. Read the claims and their limits below. A source count is not a confidence score.
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