Why robots are the way of the future, especially for the elderly

SAN FRANCISCO — Paro closes its watery eyes, tilts its head and emits a soft cry. The robotic harp seal — the world’s best-known therapeutic robot — is the creation of Japanese scientist Takanori Shibata, but its voice is made in Canada. Shibata recorded the baby harp seal, which became the voice of Paro, on Quebec’s Magdalen Islands.
“It’s a Canadian seal,” said Shibata, who showed off his cuddly creation at the world’s largest gat