Robots can improve care for kids with neurologic conditions, with some risk of dependency | MobiHea…

It’s no secret robots have caught the hearts and minds of children for decades — whether in sci-fi novellas or on the silver screen. Now, robots are also coming to pediatrics care.

“If you look at pediatrics and robotics systems, most children are attracted to robotics. So what does this mean? I can bring in a robotic device and I don’t have to convince you. I can bring it in and say, ‘Hey, this is a robot therapist, this is a robot doctor,’ … and there is not this apprehension of ‘Oh, I’m going to the doctor,’ or ‘I’m going to the therapist,’” Ayanna Howard, professor of robotics at Georgia Tech, said during her presentation at HIMSS19 in Orlando. “Instead they say “Oh, it’s a robot, what do I do?’ So we actually don’t have to fight this negative connotation of ‘Oh, you have a disability and you are going to go to the doctor or do therapy.’ Robotics is an easy sell.”