The Smart Robots for Health Communication project will analyze “human-robot interactions” with Pepper, a humanoid robot from San Francisco-based SoftBank Robotics America, according to researchers. The researchers will integrate IBM Bluemix Watson Cognitive Services into Pepper to enhance its ability to interact with people, read emotions and adapt to its surrounding environment.
The researchers will aim to study how health information is exchanged during these interactions. “We are excited to have the opportunity to potentially transform patient engagement in a clinical setting, and ultimately improve healthcare outcomes by adapting to clients’ communications needs,” said project collaborator Hermenio Lima, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and professor of medicine at McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
Along with Dr. Lima, several other individuals are involved with the Smart Robots for Health Communication project, including David Harris Smith, PhD, professor in the department of communication studies and multimedia at McMaster University, and Frauke Zeller, PhD, professor in the school of professional communication at Ryerson University.
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