Robin, short for “Robot Infant,” has been created to help children learn to manage diabetes. It is being developed at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK.
The robot can say things like “hungry” and “hug me.”
“We try to give [children] a sense of responsibility and let them bond with the robot to understand that their actions can help with his diabetes and reinforce the sort of behaviors we’d like to see in them,” Dr. Matthew Lewis, one of Robin’s creators, told BBC.
Robin basically acts like a toddler, which ideally will allow kids to relate to it, take care of it and positively affect their reaction to their condition. The developers are currently trying to raise funds so that Robin can become available to children in the UK.
