Huggable Robotic Bear Comforts Sick Kids

Apr-06-15 Developed to help comfort children who have to be hospitalized for extended periods of time, the Huggable fluffy robotic bear gets its dash of magic from a hidden human operator.

Created by a team from MIT, the "social robot" was designed to help mitigate young patients' stress and pain by engaging them in games and playful interaction. With the help of a human controlling the bear's responses via a laptop, Huggable is able to answer—and ask—questions in order to form an analysis of the patient's emotional state and provide a source of support. In tests, children seem to be more eager to interact with a robot than a virtual character, leading the team to believe that Huggable could be effective in closing the gaps between inpatient care supply and demand.

More Info about this Invention:

[WIRED.COM]
[DL.ACM.ORG]

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