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Arash: A social robot buddy to support children with cancer in a hospital environment

Ali Meghdari1, Azadeh Shariati1,2, Minoo Alemi3

  • 11 Social & Cognitive Robotics Laboratory, Center of Excellence in Design, Robotics, and Automation (CEDRA), Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of Engineering in Medicine
|June 13, 2018
PubMed

Insights

The social robot Arash was designed for children with cancer to provide educational and therapeutic engagement. Arash demonstrated high acceptance and interest among pediatric cancer patients in hospital settings.

Area of Science:

  • Human-Robot Interaction
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Robotics Engineering

Background:

  • Cancer treatment causes physical pain and emotional distress in children, potentially reducing medication efficacy.
  • Social robots can mitigate distress, improving treatment outcomes for pediatric cancer patients.
  • Existing therapeutic tools may not adequately address the unique needs of children with cancer in hospital environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design, develop, and evaluate a mobile social robot, Arash, for educational and therapeutic use with children aged 5-12 with cancer.
  • To assess children's acceptance, engagement, and emotional response to the robot in a pediatric hospital setting.
  • To enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment by reducing patient distress through robot interaction.

Main Methods:

  • A 15 degree-of-freedom, low-cost humanoid mobile robot named Arash was designed with five physical subsystems.
  • Arash's appearance was finalized based on a survey of 50 children with chronic diseases across three pediatric hospitals.
  • Two experiments involving storytelling and appearance/performance evaluations were conducted to assess robot acceptance and involvement.

Main Results:

  • The robot's design and appearance were positively received, aligning with children's preferences.
  • Experiments confirmed high levels of engagement and interest from pediatric cancer patients interacting with Arash.
  • The study indicates successful integration of Arash into the hospital environment for therapeutic purposes.

Conclusions:

  • The mobile social robot Arash is a viable tool for enhancing the hospital experience of children with cancer.
  • Arash effectively engages pediatric cancer patients, potentially reducing treatment-related distress and improving therapeutic outcomes.
  • The robot's user-centered design, informed by patient input, contributes to its successful acceptance and therapeutic potential.

Keywords:
Children with cancerhumanoid robotrobot designsocial robotstorytelling

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