By HALLIE GOLDEN

Summary:

– Robin, an AI -powered therapeutic robot, is easing stress in hospitals .

– The robot comforts children, seniors and dementia patients with games, songs and empathy.

– Hospitals use Robin to supplement overworked staff and expand patient support.

Days after Meagan Brazil-Sheehan’s 6-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia, they were walking down the halls of UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center when they ran into Robin the Robot.

“Luca, how are you?” it asked in a high-pitched voice programmed to sound like a 7-year-old girl. “It’s been awhile.”

Brazil-Sheehan said they had only met the 4-foot-tall (1.2-meter-tall) robot with a large screen displaying cartoonlike features once before after they were admitted several days earlier.

“His face lit up

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