Conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the study involved a social companion robot called Robin, who can move, talk and play with others while being remotely controlled by humans.
As part of the research, specialists from UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital’s Chase Child Life Program conducted hour-long video visits with young patients using Robin, comparing it with other interactions using a standard tablet, from October 2020 to April 2021.
At the conclusion of the study period, children and their parents were interviewed about their experiences and child life specialists provided feedback in a focus group. The researchers then used a transcript of the discussion to identify recurrent and salient themes.
The researchers found that 90 per cent of parents who had a visit with Robin said they were “extremely likely” to request another visit, compared to 60 per cent of parents whose children interacted with the tablet.
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