Hospitals Employ Robots to Provide Emotional Support for Young Patients

Health facilities across the United States are increasingly incorporating robots into their care teams to provide emotional support for patients, particularly children and the elderly. At the UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center in Massachusetts, a therapeutic robot named Robin has taken on the role of comforting young patients during their hospital stays. Standing at 1.2 metres tall and designed with a sleek, white, triangular body, Robin is aimed at engaging with children facing challenging medical procedures.

Robin, which interacts as if it were a 7-year-old girl, roams the hospital wards to check in on its young charges. During a recent encounter, Robin recognized a six-year-old boy named Luca, who is undergoing treatment for leukaemia, and greeted him with, “Luca, how are you? It’s been a while.” According to Karén Khachikyan, chief executive of Expper Technologies, the primary goal of Robin is to provide comfort and emotional support. “Imagine a pure emotional intelligence like WALL-E. We’re trying to create that,” Khachikyan said, drawing a parallel to the beloved animated film.

When Luca required an IV line, child life specialist Micaela Cotas brought Robin into his hospital room. Cotas explained the process and showed him the equipment, while Robin played a video of itself undergoing a similar procedure. “It helps [to] show that Robin has gone through those procedures as well, just like a peer,” Cotas noted.

Expanding Presence in Healthcare

Since its introduction in 2020, Robin has become a familiar presence in around 30 healthcare facilities across California, Massachusetts, New York, and Indiana. Its developers have also initiated its use in elderly care settings, where Robin acts as a companion, reminiscent of a grandchild. In nursing homes, the robot engages residents in memory games, guides them through breathing exercises, and offers companionship.

Khachikyan recounted a notable instance from last year when Robin calmed a woman experiencing a panic attack at a care facility in Los Angeles by playing Elvis Presley songs and showing her videos of puppies, which she found comforting.

Despite being powered by artificial intelligence, Robin is not fully autonomous yet. It typically operates under the supervision of clinical staff, with remote operators controlling most of its functions. Currently, the robot performs approximately 30 percent of its tasks independently while collecting data from patient interactions in compliance with US health privacy laws. This data collection aims to enhance Robin’s capabilities, moving it closer to full autonomy.

Addressing Workforce Challenges

Expper Technologies emphasizes that Robin is not meant to replace healthcare staff but rather to assist them, particularly in light of global staffing shortages in the healthcare sector. Hospitals in Europe are also exploring the potential of robotic assistants. During the healthcare workers’ strikes in 2023, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) considered deploying helper robots in hospitals to alleviate the burden on staff.

Looking ahead, Expper Technologies plans to develop Robin further, with future features including the ability to measure patients’ vital signs and relay that information to medical teams. Longer-term ambitions involve equipping the robot to assist elderly individuals with daily tasks, such as dressing and using the bathroom.

The integration of robots like Robin into healthcare settings marks a significant step towards enhancing patient care and addressing pressing workforce challenges. As technology advances, the role of robots in providing emotional support and companionship may continue to expand, offering new avenues for comfort in medical environments.