A remote social robot to motivate and support diabetic children in keeping a diary

Abstract

Children with diabetes can benefit from keeping a diary, but seldom keep one. Within the European ALIZ-E project a robot companion is being developed that, among other things, will be able to support and motivate diabetic children to keep a diary. This paper discusses the study of a robot supporting the use of an online diary. Diabetic children kept an online diary for two weeks, both with and without remote support from the robot via webcam. The effect of the robot was studied on children's use of the diary and their relationship with the robot. Results show that children shared significantly more personal experiences in their diaries when they were interacting with the robot. Furthermore, they greatly enjoyed working with the robot and came to see it as a helpful and supportive friend.