KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Robin the Robot supports children and seniors in hospitals and nursing homes

AI-powered robot provides emotional support and companionship to patients

Used in more than 30 U.S. healthcare facilities since 2020

Future plans include monitoring vitals and assisting elderly patients with daily needs

Days after Meagan Brazil-Sheehan’s 6-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia, they were walking down the halls of UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center when they ran into Robin the Robot.

“Luca, how are you?” it asked in a high-pitched voice programmed to sound like a 7-year-old girl. “It’s been awhile.”

Brazil-Sheehan said they had only met the 4-foot-tall (1.2-meter-tall) robot with a large screen displaying cartoonlike features once before after they were admitted sev

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