W H AT ’ S YO U R O P I N I O N ?
Robots in healthcare: machines, creepy dolls, therapists or social companions? For doctors, the DaVinci surgery system is just a technical tool, a more precise version of a scalpel. Alzheimer’s patients treat Paro, a robotic seal, like a real, friendly animal. Moxy, designed to help nurses, is soon loved by the patients who meet it. Many case studies have proved that healthcare can profit from robotics in many ways. However, this is not so obvious. It discomforted me a little bit that he was conversing with something that wasn’t real. But it gave him pleasure and relaxed him, and I figured it’s working, so why not. I like the cat now – says Sue
Pinetti, daughter of Roger Jalber, a resident of the Benchmark Senior Living at Plymouth Crossings. Robotic pets are used there to help people with dementia. They brighten the mood of elderly
residents, stimulate cognitive function and entertain them. The patients don’t know that the pets are not real, but they don’t have to. Technology-packed mechanical cats, dogs and teddy bears respond to touch and express emotions. In places like nursing homes or hospitals, real animals are, of course, not allowed. That is where social robots come into play. A study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated that social robots used in support sessions held in pediatric units at hospitals „can lead to more positive emotions in sick children.” A robot called „Hugga-
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