A visit or stay in the hospital is stressful for any patient, particularly for pediatric patients. Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C., is charging a new worker with alleviating pediatric patient fears: Brenner Robot.
Brenner Robot is a MEDi Robot, developed by Alberta, Canada-based RxRobots, according to a Winston-Salem Journal report. Brenner Robot can walk, sit, dance, tell jokes and play games, all in the service of working with pediatric patients. The robot is even designed to teach patients behavioral techniques to cope with pain and fear, according to the report.
Alberta Children's Hospital in Canada has had the MEDi Robot for the past three years. A study at the hospital found children receiving the flu vaccination experienced 50 percent less pain than children who did not interact with the robot, according to the report.