Researchers at Griffith University are exploring what effect the Japanese-designed PARO, which blinks, coos, paddles and nuzzles affectionately in response to touch and voice, could have in alleviating dementia in elderly patients.

Professor Wendy Moyle has received a funding grant of over $1 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council to conduct a large-scale study.

She said a smaller study her team completed last year found the robotic seal had “some fantastic benefits” for patients, including reduced anxiety, improvements in mood and a decreased tendency to wander.

“We are interested in understanding if it is the interactive robotic features of PARO that reduce emotional, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia,” Professor Moyle said.

She said the new study “will be different to any other that has gone before as it will be the first very large, randomised trial looking at the robots’ effect on people with dementia".

“The statistical evidence that we collect will be used to examine the cost effectiveness of the PARO within care facilities versus the costs of pharmaceutical treatment for people with dementia.”

Each PARO costs $5000 and developers AIST said it has five different kinds of sensor which help it perceive people and its environment, including learning people’s names.

“PARO can learn to behave in a way that the user prefers and to respond to its new name. For example, if you stroke it, PARO will remember your previous action and try to repeat that action to be stroked,” the developer’s website said.

About 332,000 Australians suffer from dementia, a figure set to rise to about 400,000.

The researchers are encouraging south-east Queensland nursing homes to volunteer to take part in the study.