• Haru encourages children to more enthusiastically react to their treatment
• Successful trial in Spain will lead to wider robot rollout
• Honda is looking at ways to expand its empathetic robot line-up

Honda is renowned for its quirky approach to robotics, demonstrating a wide remit of applications that span self-balancing motorcycles to innovative autonomous wheelchairs that can automatically adjust height so users can interact with others at eye-level.

Now it has added an AI-powered carer to that list, which has been introduced to a hospital in Seville, Spain, to help very sick pediatric patients through their treatments.

Dubbed Haru, the 12-inch desktop robot features dual screens, which act as both digital displays and eyes for better human-machine interaction, as well as an LED-infused base that doubles-up as a mouth.

It looks a little bit like a mash-up of a frog and Johnny 5 from legendary sci-fi movies Short Circuit – albeit minus the cool tank tracks that allowed Johnny to whizz around the place like a lunatic.

But underneath the cutesy exterior, Haru has played a very serious role in assisting and enhancing the lives of children undergoing long-term treatment in hospital.

According to Honda, 95% of young cancer patients became more actively engaged with their rehabilitation since trials began at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (HUVR) in 2021.

Packing numerous cameras and microphones, Haru harnesses the power of advanced AI to analyze the facial expressions and voice tones of patients and feedback accordingly. It can then use empathetic expressions and offer emotionally supportive responses to the children.

What’s more, the dual screens can also connect patients to the classroom, so they can continue their education and catch up with fellow students via a video link from hospital.

Not simply a gizmo to spread a little joy, Haru is also helping neuropsychologists more efficiently undertake emotional and cognitive assessments of their patients.

Thanks to the data gathered by the robot, as well as wider biometric information collected by smartwatches and wearables connected to Haru, hospital staff say the potential to increase the number of assessments conducted per year is almost nine times the current amount, leaping from 510 to as many as 4,500.

A spokesperson for the HUVR in Seville said that Haru holds great potential in bringing happiness to children, but also that is a refreshing change from the usual technologies used in hospitals, which typically focus on medical treatments or physical well-being.

“Haru has a positive psychological effect of lightening the mood of our young patients and also contributes to the well-being of the hospital as a whole,” the spokesperson added.

Following the successful three-year trial, Honda will now deliver 10 social robots to the same hospital in Seville, with a view to develop Haru as a “tangible AI system to be part of a society where robots can coexist as partners and facilitate communications that create connections among people,” Satoshi Shigemi, from Honda’s research institute, claims.

Analysis: Technology for good

One of Honda’s founding principles is “using our technology to help people” and it has historically been forthcoming in its work surrounding robots that it hopes will one day support our daily lives.

The company’s ASIMO robot has been a great showcase for what it is able to achieve, while its experimental Walking Assist Device and Uni-One hands-free personal mobility system have the potential to, one day, genuinely improve the quality of life for those living with disabilities.

However, it feels as if Honda’s social robot, Haru, is the first of its numerous innovations to be adopted following a successful trial period. Honda says the trial is now moving to “fully-fledge utilization of the robot”, with 10 units being introduced to the Spanish hospital’s pediatric oncology unit until 2027.

The fact it has also already helped so many children with their ongoing treatment is a great example of AI being used for good. It doesn’t always have to be linked to a dystopian future where the robots take over.

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