Date: May 01, 2018 Author: Stephanie Baum Source: MedCityNews (
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In collaboration with Aflac, Sproutel develops companion robot duck to help kids with cancer
Six years after the Providence, Rhode Island-based business got its start with a focus on the plush, robotic Jerry the Bear to help children newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Sproutel has moved into the pediatric cancer space in a collaboration with Aflac
Sproutel cofounder and CEO Aaron Horowitz with robot companion My Special Aflac Duck developed for pediatric cancer patients at The Wall Street Journal Future of Everything Festival
Sproutel, a healthcare research and development business which has built a name for itself developing robot companions for pediatric patients, has been in expansion mode. Six years after the Providence, Rhode Island-based business got its start with a focus on the plush, robotic Jerry the Bear to help children newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Sproutel has moved into the pediatric cancer space in a collaboration with Aflac.
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In an interview at The Wall Street Journal Future of Everything Festival in New York City this week, Sproutel cofounder and CEO Aaron Horowitz talked about the development of the robotic companion duck called "My Special Aflack Duck." The robotic duck is currently the focus of a clinical study at Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He said the plan is to start shipping the "My Special Aflack Duck" this September. The goal will be for Aflack to provide the robot companion to every child in the U.S. with cancer.
The robot duck is designed to respond to certain RFID tagged "emoji cards". When they are pressed against a scanner in the duck's 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. Abromowitz said his company worked with 100 families and 35 doctors at the end of 2014 to develop it.
"The biggest insight we learned is that kids lose so much control over their lives when they have cancer and receive treatment so the idea behind the duck is to give them a companion that helps them express their feelings," Horowitz said.
Meanwhile, the company has distributed 7,000 Jerry the Bear companion robots for Type 1 Diabetes. 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.
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Other companies have seen the value in developing robot companions, particularly for seniors to reduce their social isolation, such as Blue Frog Robotics' BUDDY. Catalia Health has developed an interactive robot to serve as a healthcare companion to help people comply with care plans for congestive heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, and late-stage kidney failure.
