PARO

1. 5

   Regulator-cleared or mass market

   A regulator has cleared it where approval applies: FDA clearance or approval for a medical robot, a permit to run with no one aboard for a self-driving vehicle, or an FAA approval for routine drone flights. Or: Widely sold: sales in the hundreds of thousands, or a product category you can buy in ordinary shops.

2. 4

   Paying customersThis robot

   Delivered to customers who pay for it, beyond a trial, or a paid service the public can use.

   Placed by: AARP reported that some care facilities were using PARO to calm residents with dementia (18 Oct 2011); PARO went on sale in the United States to individuals and institutions, at $6,000 (1 Dec 2009).

3. 3

   Pilot

   Working with a named customer in a real setting, as a trial.

4. 2

   Pre-orders

   Orders, reservations or deposits taken, with nothing delivered yet.

5. 1

   Demo only

   Shown in videos, staged events or a factory, with no units working for customers.

What we couldn't confirm. Some outlets (AARP, the V&A museum) say PARO was 'approved' by the FDA; the federal device record shows it as exempt from premarket submission, so it was neither FDA-cleared nor FDA-approved. No 2025-2026 price or sales figure from a trusted source was found.