Clinical and Educational Effects of Social Robots in the Process of Treating Children with Cancer

During chemotherapy children with cancer have a great need for special care and attention. The more familiar they are with the disease and its treatment process affects their collaboration with doctors and psychologists which can improve their condition. Using modern and intelligent technologies like social humanoid robots as a tool for motivation and encouragement could be remedial in this regard. In this study, a humanoid robot with various communication abilities is used to interact with 6 children with cancer, and its impact on the reduction of "distress" due to the disease and the treatment process is explored. Distress in cancer patients results in psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, reluctance and so on. The variables in the treatment process of children with cancer includes depression, anxiety, loss of appetite, and anger. In this research, the social impacts of a humanoid robot programed to perform specially designed scenarios in 8 therapeutic sessions in the presence of psychologists and specialists have been studied and analyzed. Preliminary results confirm the positive effect of utilizing social robots as co-therapists during the treatment process of children with cancer.