Robot Friend for Pediatric Patients

Standing about 4 feet tall and designed to look like a sleek but adorable cartoon character, Robin can talk to patients, display animated expressions on its “face,” play games, sing songs and help clinicians provide age-appropriate education about hospitalization and treatments.

“An Emotional Being” in Training

During its first year, the robot at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital will be remotely controlled by a developmental specialist from UCLA’s Chase Child Life Program, which will be helping to train the AI and studying the technology’s impact on patients and families.

However, Expper Technologies cofounder Karén Khachikyan says Robin the robot is not merely a remote-controlled device, but “an emotional being.” Khachikyan explains that the AI’s ability to learn from human contact “allows Robin to express emotions and react naturally to situations and interactions with children.”

Chase Child Life Program Director Kelli Carroll calls the robot “another tool in our toolbox to provide developmental and coping support for our young patients” and says it helps her team continue to educate and support kids even though “traditional interventions are on pause during the pandemic.”

In this Article: Pediatrics, technology