Paro, subject of the new Icarus Films documentary, MECHANICAL LOVE (http://icarusfilms.com/new2009/ml.html)
featured as the cover story of Sunday's (7/4/10) New York Times. We're all aware of the emotional benefits of pet therapy. But what about a cuddly caretaker who runs on batteries? Japanese robot sensation, Paro, is now reaching U.S. shores. Read on to learn how Paro may redefine the world of elder care: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/science/05robot.html?_r=1 <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/science/05robot.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=paro&s t=cse> &scp=1&sq=paro&st=cse MECHANICAL LOVE examines the contemporary interrelationship between robots and humans, explaining the differences between a "humanoid" (a robot in the shape of a human being), an "android" (a robot that looks and moves like a human) and a "geminoid" (a copy of an actual human being). The film profiles Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro, an engineer at Osaka University who has created an eerily lifelike robot facsimile of himself; meets with Professor Takanori Shibata, the inventor of "Paro," an electronic baby seal; and interviews a physiotherapist who explains how such interactive "pets" are being used as therapy in retirement homes. Filmed in Japan, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the U.S., MECHANICAL LOVE explores the amazing worldwide advances in robot technology, the changing nature of the relationships between humans and their machines, the social benefits and dangers, and the universal human desires to love and be loved. "Captures a future possibility where robots aren't cold, killing Terminators, but rather tools for people to find happiness, focus, and purpose." - Cinematical.com Learn more about MECHANICAL LOVE, the new Icarus Films documentary here: http://icarusfilms.com/new2009/ml.html Sylvia Savadjian Director of Marketing & Publicity Icarus Films 32 Court Street, 21st Floor Brooklyn, New York 11201 Tel: 718.488.8900 Fax: 718.488.8642 [email protected] www.icarusfilms.com www.twitter.com/icarusfilms www.facebook.com/icarusfilms
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