Robin is a therapeutic robot programed to act like a 7-year-old girl as it travels around nursing homes and hospitals’ pediatric units providing emotional support while helping to combat staffing shortages.

With a large screen displaying cartoonlike features and a sleek white frame designed for hugging, Robin has become a familiar face in 30 health care facilities across four states.

Robin is about 30% autonomous, while a team of operators working remotely controls the rest under the watchful eyes of clinical staff.

With each interaction, they collect more data and get closer to it being able to function independently.