He can sing, dance and perform tai chi, but B-Positive robot鈥檚 most important role is distraction.
The 58-cm-tall humanoid robot is the smallest member of the team at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, N.S., but his job is no less vital. The robot is tasked with easing the nerves of young patients in the waiting room before they go in for blood work.
He can tell stories, play rock-paper-scissors or Simon Says, and sing a show-stopping rendition of 鈥淟et It Go鈥� from Disney鈥檚 Frozen. He can also teach various cognitive behavioural strategies, such as deep breathing, to help young patients cope during medical procedures.
鈥淧arents and kids both really enjoy having the robot,鈥� said Jennifer Parker, research associate with the . B-Positive is part of the latest study by the centre to assess methods for pain reduction among kids aged 4 to 15. Distraction is known to help with pain management, and the staff at the clinic have already been seeing results. Plus, they like the bot too.
鈥淲e love him, we really do,鈥� said nurse Debi Sweeney. 鈥淗e鈥檚 so cool.鈥�
The robot has made many of the kids鈥� experiences at the clinic more pleasant than painful, the nurse said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something we鈥檙e able to talk about while we鈥檙e doing their blood collection, so it helps calm them from the overthinking about having the blood work done,鈥� said Sweeney. 鈥淲e can do it, but sometimes something new can help them even better.鈥�
Though the clinic has named the robot B-Positive, a play on blood type and optimism, it was by creators SoftBank Robotics. The robot is available for purchase by companies and educators . NAO was originally made in 2006 as the company鈥檚 first humanoid robot, but SoftBank has since added more humanoids to its , including the 140-cm-tall robot called ROMEO who was 鈥渄esigned to explore and further research into assisting elderly people and those who are losing their autonomy.鈥�
Their uses go beyond health and education. NAO bots have competed in international robotics competitions, including the -- Robot Soccer World Cup -- in which teams of robots compete in a soccer tournament.
With a report from CTV Atlantic鈥檚 Jayson Baxter
