New Project: "Robot Therapy In Pediatric Emergency"
NAO, ROBOT THAT SMILE RETURNS TO SICK CHILDREN
At the start the project "Robot Therapy in Pediatric Emergency", a collaboration between the University of L'Aquila and the University Federico II of Naples.
Head of the initiative is Prof. Clara Balsano, Director of the School of Specialization in Emergency Medicine / Urgency, University of L'Aquila and President of the Francesco Balsano Foundation.
From 1 June the pediatric PS of the San Salvatore Hospital (ASL1 L'Aquila-Avezzano-Sulmona), directed by Prof. Alberto Verrotti, will be equipped with a humanoid robot named NAO.
It's called NAO and is a humanoid robot of the last generation able to interface, interact with small patients and interpret their moods and psychophysical conditions thanks to the algorithms they are equipped with. These, combined with clinical and biochemical parameters, will allow NAO, a personalized interaction with the child who, seeing in the robot a sort of super-hero, will be immune from that anxiety and fear that the sight of a white coat can to arouse, at the expense of a fruitful collaboration with the pediatrician. In other words, the "social" intelligence with which NAO is endowed will allow him, under the careful control of the working group directed by Professor Dina Di Giacomo, to interact emotionally with the children. The system of algorithms with which the robot was created will allow it to adapt to the child's behavior in order to intervene positively when alarm signals, suffering or even just mood changes appear.
Not only that, children and families will also be able to meet the NAO robot during the Street Science event, an event that will fill the historic center of L'Aquila with lectures, workshops, shows and interactive exhibitions on 27 September 2019.
The NAO robot software will be studied and implemented by the group headed by Prof. Silvia Rossi, head of the PRISCA laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University Federico II of Naples.
The project that fits into a broader context aimed at the realization of an Olistic City that will see the light of day in L'Aquila, a city still traumatized by the wounds inflicted by the frightening earthquake of April 6th 2009
PRESS REVIEW:
https://www.tg24.info/rubriche/nao-il-robot-in-corsia-che-restituisce-il-sorriso-ai-malati/https://news-town.it/cultura-e-societa/25055-pronto-soccorso-pediatrico-san-salvatore-ecco-nao
http://www.radiolaquila1.it/eventi/item/42502-nao-al-pronto-soccorso-dell-aquila-un-robot-che-restituisce-il-sorriso-ai-bambini-malati
http://www.ilcentro.it/l-aquila/ecco-nao-il-robot-che-aiuta-i-bambini-1.2228481