[ExI] AI-powered robot designed to soothe fear and loneliness in hospitals

[BillK]

How this AI-powered robot was designed to soothe fear and loneliness
in hospitals
by Associated Press / Sep 19, 2025
Robin the Robot is about 30% autonomous, with a team of remote
operators working in tandem with clinical staff.

<https://www.fastcompany.com/91407110/how-ai-powered-robot-designed-soothe-fear-lonliness-hospitals>
Quotes:
Robin is an artificial intelligence-powered therapeutic robot
programed to act like a little girl as it provides emotional support
at nursing homes and hospital pediatric units while helping combat
staffing shortages. Five years after launching in the U.S., it has
become a familiar face in 30 health care facilities in California,
Massachusetts, New York and Indiana.
“Imagine a pure emotional intelligence like WALL-E. We’re trying to
create that,” he said, referencing the 2008 animated film.

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 their favorite music.

“She brings joy to everyone,” da Silva said. “She walks down the
halls, everyone loves to chat with her, say hello.”

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.
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Looks good to me!  :)
BillK