Team
In collaboration with the Stanford Children's Health and Stanford CHARIOT Program, we are exploring how AI - enabled robots can improve peri-operative and inpatient pediatric experience
Sparking joy and reducing anxiety:
How Pupper aids children
Pupper is a hands-on, artificial intelligence (AI) enabled robot dog who is an alternative to our therapy dog, which has a finite number of daily patient interactions.
AI enabled robots such as Pupper serve as novel social robots that benefit pediatric care by improving the patient experience. Social robots hold potential applications not only with distraction, anxiety reduction, and social engagement, but also with rehabilitation, physical therapy, and education.
They played soccer with Pupper, walked it on a leash, and watched Pupper perform tricks such as sitting, laying down, wag- ging, and sniffing. Patients and parents also joined the Puppers in a flash dance.† A 12-year-old girl reported, “He reminds me of my own dog at home. He is smart and is able to dance with me. He makes me feel like I'm back at home with my own puppy again and not in my room just watching TV and taking medication”.
Social robots hold potential applications not only with distraction, anxiety reduction, and social engagement, but also with rehabilitation, physical therapy, and education. AI enabled robots such as Pupper serve as novel social robots that benefit pediatric care by improving the patient experience.
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