Sproutel makes interactive games for children newly diagnosed with a chronic illness Sproutel, Inc. to learn and cope through play. The company's lead product --Jerry the Bear - enables children with diabetes to learn compliant behaviors through play and become empowered throughout their lives. Jerry teaches children with type 1 diabetes how to monitor their blood glucose levels, maintain a healthy diet, and recognize their symptoms - all through play! Jerry connects to the web enabling parents to track learning and to provide software updates that keep children engaged. The latest version of the bear uses augmented reality powered by a smartphone. Beyond Type One, a New York-based diabetes organization cofounded in 2015 by Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, is one collaboration partner. Another is UNC Healthcare. The firm's latest product - My Special Aflac Duck- is an interactive companion that supports children with cancer through the average 1,000 days of treatment. The duck was developed through an 18 month design process, working with patients, doctors, and experts at the Aflac Cancer Center and was made available to children with cancer nationwide during 2018. The robot duck is designed to respond to certain RFID tagged emoji cards. When pressed against a scanner in the ducks chest, the duck acts out feelings of the selected emotion, such as anger. Another emoji card triggers guided breathing to help kids calm down. Users can also give the duck cancer treatments like the ones they receive. It also responds to music and speech. Company worked with 100 families and 35 doctors to develop the robot and through that effort learned that with the illness and treatment leaving kids feeling they have little control " the idea behind the duck is to give them a companion that helps them express their feelings.
