The benefits of animal therapy have been recorded ad infinitum, but leave it to the Japanese to shun traditional flesh and bone for something more high-tech. The Paro Therapeutic Robot is a cuddly seal doll with sensors to detect his environment, and, freakily enough, his own name. Also, if you hit him, he’ll “learn” to never perform that action again – until the day he becomes self-aware and destroys you.
$6,493 from parorobots.com