At first glance Jukusui-Kun looks like the perfect children's toy. He's cute, cuddly and shaped like a polar bear. But Jukusui-Kun has another purpose aside from looking so adorable; he's also designed to help sleepers suffering from sleep apnea reduce snoring.

Although there are numerous treatments for sleep apnea, Jukusui-Kun is the first robotic treatment that will wake the sleeper up if he or she snores too loudly. The robo-polar bear was developed by researchers from Tokyo's Waseda University as a pillow substitute for heavy snorers. The robot monitors the sleeper's snore with built-in mics and works with a pulse-oxygen meter attached to the sleeper's hand that tracks the amount of oxygen in the blood. A terminal that controls the robot analyzes the data and tells the robot to gently nudge the sleeper in the head when the snoring gets too loud. The action will cause the sleeper to change position from the back to the side for a quieter night.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that affects an estimated 2 million people in Japan alone. Clinically, sleep apnea means that patients actually stop their breathing pattern throughout the night which leads to the individual not getting enough quality sleep and fatigue during the day. While Jukusui-Kun will be a welcome addition to the bed of any snorer and their partner, there are no plans of yet to introduce a commercial version of the robo-polar bear at this stage.

Jusukui-Kun is just one more in the line of cute robots that masks their therapeutic purposes. The robo-polar bear joins the ranks of Riba the teddy bear robot nurse for elderly patients and Paro the animatronic baby seal companion. Paro is designed to be a companion to lonely elderly people. Modeled after a baby harp seal, Paro is cute and adorable without the hassle of looking after a real pet. He's programmed to enjoy cuddles and pats, wants attention and looks fearfully at you if hit him. Paro nuzzles your hand and snuggles when he's happy or content and likes when he's being treated right. In short he's too adorable that even the grumpiest person will love him.

The actual benefit behind Paro is based on the concept of animal therapy. People can relax and enjoy animal companions. Studies show that interaction with animals relieves mental stress and encourages social interaction. Paro provides the therapeutic effects of animal therapy without the bother of caring after a real pet. Elderly people have shown excellent adjustment ability to stress after playing with Paro.

Another ridiculously cute robot from Japan is the Keepon robot. Originally designed as a therapeutic tool for autistic children and academic research, the Keepon robot proved to be so popular that a commercial version is now available in Toys 'R' Us. The original Keepon cost $30,000 but the commercial toy will only cost $40. The Keepon robot uses video and audio sensors to dance and interact with humans. It's just so fluffy.