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MEDi is 23 inches tall and 25 degrees of freedom, but what’s most important about this humanoid is its mission. Created by RxRobots, MEDi works as a pain coach and companion for kids undergoing medical procedures.
The methods for this could be as simple as dancing or playing games to ease anxiety, but MEDi is also equipped with cognitive behavioral skills. The bot can talk to kids about what they’re going to experience during the procedure to help them understand and anticipate what will happen. Clinical studies have shown that interventions like MEDi can lead to the child feeling up to 50 percent less pain.
MEDi is currently in use at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Canada and will be coming to the U.S. in the next few months.
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