A robot as a buddy in healthcare? “Children really see it as a friend”
Anouk Neerincx explored how robots can play a role in youth healthcare
Can social robots help children during medical procedures and provide emotional support? PhD candidate Anouk Neerincx investigated how robots can reduce stress in healthcare environments and discovered that children respond surprisingly positively. On 24 March, she will defend her dissertation at Utrecht University.
A robot with a friendly face rolls into a waiting room. "Hi! How are you?" it asks a child in a soft voice. The child hesitates for a moment but soon relaxes. They start playing a game together—suddenly, the upcoming vaccination feels a little less scary.
Social robots
Visiting the Centrum voor Jeugd en Gezin (Youth and Family Center) for a vaccination or health check-up can be nerve-wracking for children. But what if a social robot could ease that anxiety? In her PhD research, Anouk Neerincx explored how robots can help reduce stress, encourage children to talk about their health, and teach them emotional skills.
"Children often truly see a robot as a friend," says Neerincx. "Unlike adults, who are more aware of a robot’s limitations, children simply go along with the interaction. That makes social robots particularly interesting for healthcare applications."
Adults are more aware of a robot’s limitations—children just play along. That makes social robots interesting for youth healthcare applications.
Designing together
For her research, Neerincx collaborated with the Centrum voor Jeugd en Gezin, which provides accessible healthcare for children. She involved children, parents, and healthcare professionals in designing her study through creative workshops, interviews, and interactive sessions. "We asked them: where could a robot truly make a difference?" she explains. This led to various scenarios and user requirements. During the testing phase, she explored three potential applications for the robot:
- Easing pre-procedure anxiety – Could a robot help reduce stress before a vaccination? Using surveys and observations, Neerincx examined how robots affected children in the waiting room. The results showed that the robot helped children relax and provided a welcome distraction. Interestingly, parents tended to step back a little when their child interacted with the robot.
- Teaching emotional skills – Together with researchers in Lisbon, Neerincx developed a game where a robot helps children recognise and name emotions. "Many children visiting the Centrum voor Jeugd en Gezin struggle with emotion regulation," she says. "A robot can provide a safe way to explore feelings."
- Encouraging conversations about healthcare – Neerincx tested this at science festivals (Betweter and Expeditie NEXT), where visitors could discuss COVID with a robot. "We found that both the personality of the person and the personality of the robot influenced how much people were willing to share," she notes.
More than just a screen
What makes a robot more effective than a tablet or an animation? "A robot can move, gesture, and has a voice. That makes the interaction feel more natural," Neerincx explains. Her research showed that a robot with expressive gestures was more effective in reducing anxiety than a static one.
However, social robots are not a one-size-fits-all solution. "Some children absolutely love robots, while others might find them intimidating. The context in which you introduce a robot greatly influences what it needs to do."
Unexpected bond
Throughout her experiments, Neerincx repeatedly observed how deeply children could connect with a robot. "One of the most touching moments was when a little girl—maybe three or four years old, actually too young for our study—started telling the robot stories in great detail. It really doesn’t take much: place a robot in the room, let it do a little dance, and children are immediately engaged."
Even older children responded more positively than expected. "We worked with kids up to sixteen years old, and even they often enjoyed the interaction. I didn’t see that coming."
What’s next?
After completing her PhD, Neerincx will continue as a researcher in Social Robotics and a lecturer in the ICT bachelor’s program at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. During her PhD, she already taught courses in the Information Science bachelor's program and the Human-Computer Interaction master’s program. She remains committed to exploring human-robot interaction in her future research.