Robotics expert Aaron Horowitz recently developed a robot plush duck which is meant as a treatment through play for children suffering from cancer. This robot is not just a moving toy, but it is a tool for those kids to brighten up and reenter a social environment. The duck can be playful, silly, angry, happy, scare or even sick, just like the kids. Power of play is the key here and the main modality through kids can cope with their diagnosis. Currently, Horowitz’s company is testing the robot duck and they want to distribute it widely by the end of this year.

The inspiration for this came from Horowitz’s own life story. When he was a child, he received the diagnosis of human growth development deficiency. For five years, he had to inject himself daily for the disease to become inactive. This is why he decided to help sick children. He became a co-founder of the company Sproutel, in Rhode Island. This invention might seem like something new, but it actually isn’t. For years, children’s hospitals and care facilities have been trying to introduce robots into those kids’ lives. The aim is to help them stay social, to better manage their emotional health and to have someone to play with.

A robot duck for sick children

There is a variety of robots out there which have only one purpose: to help sick kids. Some look like real robots while others are hidden under the soft surface of an animal toy, like this duck or Paro. The latter is a cute baby seal which some Japanese researchers developed with the same goal.

Moreover, Horowitz is not on his first social robot. The first one was Jerry the Bear, a friend for kids that suffer from diabetes. Kids can feed Jerry and take care of him by giving him insulin or checking his blood sugar levels. And this duck is supposed to have the same purpose: remind children that they are never alone. Also, that and that this illness will pass.

Image source: wikimedia