Life can be isolating and challenging for pediatric cancer patients, so Nebraska Medicine in Omaha brought in a telepresence robot to help improve the quality of life for some young warriors.
The academic health system matched a DoubleRobotics telepresence robot with healthcare-specific software from Calgary Scientific, then dressed it up a cowboy hat, bandana and white lab coat to create Dr. Double. This summer, the robotic doctor started making the rounds in pediatric cancer wards at Nebraska Medical Center for educational and entertainment purposes.
As the video below shows, kids were able to interact with dogs and drive a robot located at Calgary Scientific headquarters in Calgary, Alberta. “It actually may be the first-ever recorded case of international robot barrel racing to benefit patients,” said Nebraska Medicine Telehealth Program Coordinator Kyle Hall.
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“The opportunities to use a technology like this are very limitless and it challenges us and it’s exciting to think of different ways that we can engage kids,” said said Lisa Wallace-Spech, a child-life specialist at the hospital. She noted that it is particularly helpful for pediatric patients in isolation.
For more, see this blog post from Hall and this one from Calgary Scientific.
