Triple-S Foundation unveils robot that connects hospitalized patients with families
Seeking to connect families and friends with a patient during a hospitalization, the Triple-S Foundation launched an initiative that uses a robot on wheels called Robbie so they can videoconference and talk, sing or read to the patient.
“Restrictions on hospital visits are necessary, but there’s no doubt that isolation for patients adds stress to their health concerns,” said Triple-S Foundation Executive Director Ivelisse M. Fernández.
“And anyone who has a family member in the hospital deals with constant worry about how they are and how their treatment is going. Similarly, those who live in homes for the elderly also miss seeing their families,” she said.
“Through a robot with telepresence capacity, we want to offer the opportunity for hospitalized children and adults to talk face-to-face,” Fernández said.
Isolation and loneliness are considered as harmful to health as smoking or being overweight, public health experts have said.
The initiative relies on two robots with an internet connection that are managed remotely, allowing videoconferences to be carried out from anywhere, she said.
The “Robbie” robots move on two wheels and have cameras, microphones and a high-resolution screen. The initiative will be carried out in several hospitals, elderly homes and nonprofit organizations such as CAP, the Alzheimer’s Association and Esperanza para la Vejez.
