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Teddy bear robot improves mood of hospitalized children
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A social robot teddy bear, known as Huggable, has been shown to improve the mood of a group of hospitalized children, according to research published in Pediatrics. Researchers suggested that this technology could be used to improve the care and quality of life of ill children.
”To our knowledge, this is the first study that explores using social robots with pediatric patients during hospital inpatient stays,” Deirdre E. Logan, PhD, director of psychological services for pain medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, told Infectious Diseases in Children. “We believe that social robots benefit children during hospital stays by providing a continuous presence, engaging children in calming and distracting interactions and potentially addressing children’s anxiety and other distress in this stressful environment.”
In a pilot study, Logan and colleagues randomly assigned 54 hospitalized children aged 3 to 10 years to one of three interventions meant to decrease stress, pain and isolation and improve mood— Huggable, a tablet-based avatar version of the bear, or a plush teddy bear “puppeteered” by a certified child life specialist (CLS).
Children who spent time with Huggable reported a more positive mood compared with children who received a plush teddy bear with human interaction. The researchers wrote that children who were randomly assigned to Huggable appeared to be more joyful and agreeable, according to their parents.
CLS staff reported “numerous potential benefits of social robot technology in the pediatric setting.” For example, Logan said Huggable could provide encouragement and support to patients who are asked to participate in medical tasks or activities, like physical therapy exercises. The bear could also help to gather information on the child’s mood or pain levels. She added that children sometimes appeared more comfortable opening up and trusting the robot compared with a hospital staff member and quickly built a rapport with the robot.
“We hope that with further development, the social robots can function autonomously,” Logan said. “This study provided the information need to develop machine learning algorithms so that the bear will be able to respond based on the child’s needs. We also hope that the robot can ‘follow’ patients through the continuum of care experience, providing a consistent and trusted presence.” – by Katherine Bortz
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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