Japan tests if sending cuddly robotic seals on a mission to Mars could offer astronauts stress relief
Japan could one day launch cuddly robotic seals into space, as it tests whether the AI-driven machines can relieve astronauts' stress and keep them company on a mission to Mars.
In November, a crew of six underwent a two-week simulation of a Mars mission at the US-based Mars Desert Research Station, operated by the Mars Society in Utah.
The would-be astronauts carried out first-aid drills, grew their own food and simulated rock and soil recovery from Mars. But they also tested Paro - a therapeutic robot with artificial intelligence in the form of a baby harp seal.
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"We studied how Paro mitigated feelings of stress and isolation and the data will be useful in supporting research on future analogue missions," a report on the simulation said.
"Half of the crew enjoyed time with Paro during the first week, while the others had access to him during week two," it said.
Designed by Takanori Shibata, a researcher with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tokyo, the robot has proved its worth as a therapeutic tool since its release in 1998.
Primarily deployed in care facilities, the robots have been shown to be effective in calming patients with dementia, with the artificial intelligence enabling them to respond to touch, recall faces and learn and repeat actions that trigger a favourable reaction in the patient.
The robot is equipped with dual 32-bit processors, three microphones, 12 tactile sensors, touch-sensitive whiskers and a network of motors and actuators that move its limbs and body both realistically and silently.
Paro - 57cm from nose to tail and weighing 2.6kg - also makes sounds similar to a baby seal and is programmed to be active during the day and "sleep" at night.
It has also proved effective in reducing anxiety in children with autism and was recognised by Guinness World Records in 2002 for being the robot that induces the "greatest reduction in stress levels". As well as being used in elderly and psychological care facilities in Japan, the robots are also available in the US and many European countries.
In Hong Kong, the cost of a Paro unit is subsidised by the city government for health and social service providers.
Six robots have been donated to medical institutions in Poland that are providing psychological care to Ukrainian children traumatised by the Russian invasion.
"Paro's role is the same as animals that are used to provide therapy, which has been shown to have positive effects," Shibata said.
"Animals are expensive, however, and take time to train for these roles, while they also require food and medical care," he told This Week in Asia. "In comparison, robots are much cheaper and last longer."
Paro is also perfect for a stressful space mission, he said, with the journey to Mars expected to last six months and work on the planet likely to continue for two years.
"The crew on a Mars mission will therefore be very isolated and there will be four people in a very limited space," Shibata said. "There will be stress in their relations with other people in addition to the isolation. Paro will be able to improve the astronauts' mental health conditions."
The astronauts who took part in the November simulations were monitored while they interacted with the robot. The results will be compared with those of a control group to determine the impact on stress levels.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is expected to dispatch its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission to the planet's two moons in 2024, with the probes set to return in 2029. Based on the data they provide, there are ambitions to send a manned mission in the 2030s - accompanied by a cuddly companion - but only if it receives a seal of approval.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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