Japan's 'healing robots' help ease COVID-19 isolation

NAGOYA – While many people have learned to stay in touch with loved ones, friends, and colleagues through videoconferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reduction of face-to-face interaction has boosted a market for robots providing substitutes for physical human contact.

“Healing robots,” such as the cuddly humanoid Lovot developed by Groove X Inc., Sony Corp.’s Aibo robotic dog, and Qoobo, a furry cushion with a tail that moves in reaction to strokes developed by Yukai Engineering Inc., are seeing sharp sales rises, the companies say.

Lovot and Aibo can gather data on the well-being of their owners and report it remotely, which is why some people are gifting the automatons to their older parents living far away whom they are refraining from visiting due to infection risks.

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“When people feel uneasy or lonely, they tend to yearn for a sense of physical touch,” Hiroshi Ishiguro, a professor of intelligent robotics at Osaka University, said in explaining the reason behind the trend.

“Through healing robots, they must be trying to confirm the actual existence of others, which is hard to really feel on the telephone or through videoconferencing,” he said.

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Lovot, a mascot-like robot with round eyes that stands 43 centimeters tall, has even found its way into a kindergarten in Nagoya, to help young children who may be affected by the emotional stresses created by the pandemic.

Featuring more than 50 sensors, the robot can recognize, approach and make eye contact with its owner, according to the company website. The sensors also allow it to feel where its body is touched and avoid obstacles.

Weighing about 4.2 kilograms, it is light enough to easily pick up, with arms adjustable to a “hug mode” and a temperature similar to the human body at around 37 degrees Celsius.