Researchers from the MIT Media Lab, Boston Children’s Hospital and Northeastern University deployed a variety of developmental and coping interventions across several paediatric units at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Patients aged three to ten were randomly split into three control groups: one which involved a robotic teddy bear called Huggable, one which involved a tablet-based virtual Huggable and a traditional soft teddy bear. The patients who were given Huggable displayed better mood and behavioural outcomes than those given the tablet or soft bear.
