A robot programmed to act like a small child works to combat fear and loneliness in hospitals

Robin is an artificial intelligence-powered therapeutic robot programmed to act like a little girl as it provides emotional support at nursing homes and hospital pediatric units while helping combat staffing shortages. “Nurses and medical staff are really overworked, under a lot of pressure, and unfortunately, a lot of times they don’t have capacity to provide engagement and connection to patients,” said Karen Khachikyan, CEO of Expper Technologies, which developed the robot. “Robin helps to alleviate that part from them.” As AI increasingly becomes a part of daily life, it's found a foothold in medical care—providing everything from note-taking during exams to electronic nurses. While heralded by some for the efficiency it brings, others worry about its impact on patient care. Robin is about 30% autonomous, while a team of operators working remotely controls the rest under the watchful eye of clinical staff. Samantha da Silva, speech-language pathologist at the hospital, said patients light up when Robin comes into their room and not only remembers their names but also their favorite music. Robin mirrors the emotions of the person it is talking with, explained Khachikyan. If the patient is laughing, then the robot laughs along, but if they're sharing something difficult, its face reflects sadness and empathy. In nursing homes, Robin plays memory games with people suffering from dementia, takes them through breathing exercises on difficult days and offers them a form of companionship that resembles a grandchild with a grandparent. But with the Association of American Medical Colleges projecting that the U.S. will face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians in the next 11 years, Khachikyan’s vision for Robin goes far beyond this type of support. He said they’re working to make the robot able to measure patients’ vitals and check to see how they’re doing and then send that information to their medical team. Long-term plans include designing Robin to help elderly patients change their clothes and go to the bathroom. He clarified that it’s not about replacing healthcare workers but about filling in the gaps in the workforce. This article was provided by The Associated Press.