Robotic baby seal for elderly

It is little, cute and cuddly, loves being petted and responds to touch and speech by moving and making sounds. It even has a beneficial effect on people with dementia. Paro is the name of the creature, which is neither dog, cat nor rabbit. Paro is a seal - a robotic seal from Japan!

This original pet is a stuffed animal robot, developed by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. Engineer Takanori Shibata said Paro prototypes are being tested in Japan and Sweden at nursing homes, and with autistic and handicapped children. "We know that pet therapy helps physically, psychologically and socially, and Paro does the same thing for people who are unable to care for a live pet," said Shibata. Paro may soon be tested in children's hospitals in the United States. It's expected to cost between $2,500 and $3,000.

What is Catalytical Innovation?

Professor Clayton Christensen from Harvard Business School has increasingly been recognised as a guru in the field of innovation theory. His "The Innvoator's XYZ" books prove his concept of disrupive innovation in a very exciting and cheerful manner and make them an interesting read indeed.

The main focus for his disruptive innovation theories is often directed towards private sectors. However, Christensen has also adapted business based theories in the context of social change - coined "Catalytical Innovation". Interestingly, the principles of disruptive innovation may support organizations who aim at creating new solutions to social challenges. Christensen, Bauman and Heiner have identified several criteria for catalytical innovation:

The Five Qualities of Catalytic Innovators:

1) They create systemic social change through scaling and replication.
2) They meet a need that is either overserved (because the existing solution is more complex than many people require) or not served at all.
3) They offer products and services that are simpler and less costly than existing alternatives and may be perceived as having a lower level of performance, but users consider them to be good enough.
4) They generate resources, such as donations, grants, volunteer manpower, or intellectual capital, in ways that are initially unattractive to incumbent competitors.
5) They are often ignored, disparaged, or even encouraged by existing players for whom the business model is unprofitable or otherwise unattractive and who therefore avoid or retreat from the market segment.

Interesting stuff!