Introduction to Robin the Robot
Robin the Robot, developed by Expper Technologies, is an artificial intelligence-powered therapeutic robot designed to provide emotional support to patients in nursing homes and hospital pediatric units. The robot is programmed to act like a little girl, with a high-pitched voice and cartoon-like features displayed on a large screen. Robin’s primary goal is to help combat fear and loneliness in hospitals, while also alleviating some of the pressure on overworked nurses and medical staff.
How Robin Works
Robin is about 30% autonomous, with the remaining 70% controlled by a team of operators working remotely under the supervision of clinical staff. The robot is designed to collect data from each interaction, which is used to improve its performance and bring it closer to functioning independently. Robin’s creators envision a future where the robot can operate with "pure emotional intelligence," similar to the character WALL-E from the 2008 animated film.
Robin’s Interactions with Patients
Robin interacts with patients in various ways, including playing their favorite music, showing them videos, and engaging in simple games like tic-tac-toe. The robot is also programmed to mirror the emotions of the person it is interacting with, displaying empathy and understanding when a patient is sharing something difficult. In nursing homes, Robin plays memory games with patients suffering from dementia and provides companionship that resembles a grandchild visiting a grandparent.
Robin’s Impact on Patients
Patients and their families have reported positive interactions with Robin, with many citing the robot’s ability to remember their names and favorite activities as a highlight. Robin’s presence has been shown to bring joy and comfort to patients, helping to alleviate feelings of fear and loneliness. In one instance, Robin helped a patient calm down during a panic attack by playing songs by her favorite musician and showing videos of her favorite animal.
Making its Rounds
On a typical day, Robin makes its rounds at HealthBridge Children’s Hospital in Orange County, California, visiting patients and engaging in various activities. The robot’s schedule is coordinated by hospital staff, who provide Robin with a list of patients to visit and the amount of time to spend with each one. Robin’s interactions with patients are designed to be personalized and engaging, with the robot adapting its behavior to meet the individual needs of each patient.
Finding its Niche
Robin was developed by Expper Technologies CEO Karen Khachikyan while he was pursuing his Ph.D. Khachikyan’s goal was to create a robot that could act as a friend to people, particularly those who are lonely or isolated. After testing Robin in various industries, the company found its niche in pediatric hospitals, where the robot’s ability to provide emotional support and companionship was particularly valuable.
Robin’s Evolution
Since its creation, Robin has undergone significant changes based on feedback from patients and hospital staff. The robot’s personality and character have been refined to better meet the needs of patients, with a focus on creating a friendly and engaging interaction. Robin’s developers continue to work on improving the robot’s performance, with plans to add new features such as measuring patients’ vitals and providing assistance with daily activities.
Conclusion
Robin the Robot is a valuable tool in the fight against fear and loneliness in hospitals. With its ability to provide emotional support and companionship, Robin is helping to improve the patient experience and alleviate some of the pressure on overworked nurses and medical staff. As the robot continues to evolve and improve, it is likely to play an increasingly important role in the delivery of healthcare services.
FAQs
- What is Robin the Robot?: Robin is an artificial intelligence-powered therapeutic robot designed to provide emotional support to patients in nursing homes and hospital pediatric units.
- How does Robin work?: Robin is about 30% autonomous, with the remaining 70% controlled by a team of operators working remotely under the supervision of clinical staff.
- What types of interactions does Robin have with patients?: Robin interacts with patients in various ways, including playing their favorite music, showing them videos, and engaging in simple games like tic-tac-toe.
- Can Robin measure patients’ vitals?: Currently, Robin is not capable of measuring patients’ vitals, but its developers are working on adding this feature in the future.
- Is Robin designed to replace human healthcare workers?: No, Robin is designed to supplement the work of human healthcare workers, providing emotional support and companionship to patients and helping to alleviate some of the pressure on overworked staff.
By HALLIE GOLDEN
Days after Meagan Brazil-Sheehan’s 6-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia, they were walking down the halls of UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center when they ran into Robin the Robot.
“Luca, how are you?” it asked in a high-pitched voice programmed to sound like a 7-year-old girl. “It’s been awhile.”
Brazil-Sheehan said they had only met the 4-foot-tall robot with a large screen displaying cartoonlike features once before after they were admitted several days earlier.
“His face lit up,” she said about the interaction in June in Worcester, Massachusetts. “It was so special because she remembered him.”
Robin is an artificial intelligence -powered therapeutic robot programed to act like a little girl as it provides emotional support at nursing homes and hospital pediatric units while helping combat staffing shortages. Five years after launching in the U.S., it has become a familiar face in 30 health care facilities in California, Massachusetts, New York and Indiana.
“Nurses and medical staff are really overworked, under a lot of pressure, and unfortunately, a lot of times they don’t have capacity to provide engagement and connection to patients,” said Karen Khachikyan, CEO of Expper Technologies, which developed the robot. “Robin helps to alleviate that part from them.”
As AI increasingly becomes a part of daily life, it’s found a foothold in medical care — providing everything from note-taking during exams to electronic nurses. While heralded by some for the efficiency it brings, others worry about its impact on patient care.
Robin is about 30% autonomous, while a team of operators working remotely controls the rest under the watchful eyes of clinical staff. Khachikyan said that with each interaction, they’re able to collect more data — while still complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA — and get closer to it being able to function independently.
“Imagine a pure emotional intelligence like WALL-E. We’re trying to create that,” he said, referencing the 2008 animated film.
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Robin the Robot, developed by Expper Technologies, interacts with Erica Ruiz and her daughter, Valentina, at the HealthBridge Orange Specialty Pediatric Hospital in Orange, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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Making its rounds
On a recent Friday, a staff member at HealthBridge Children’s Hospital in Orange County, California, read off a list of patients she needed Robin to visit, along with the amount of time to spend with each one.
The robot with a sleek white triangle-shaped frame that Khachikyan said was designed for hugging, rolled into a room with a teenager injured in a car accident. The robot played what it described as his favorite song — “No Fear” by DeJ Loaf — and he danced along. In the hallway, Robin cracked up a
