What a robotic companion could do for a diabetic child

Abstract

Being a child with diabetes is challenging: apart from the emotional difficulties of dealing with the disease, there are multiple physical aspects that need to be dealt with on a daily basis. Furthermore, as the children grow older, it becomes necessary to self-manage their condition without the explicit supervision of parents or carers. This process requires that the children overcome a steep learning curve. Previous work hypothesized that a robot could provide a supporting role in this process. In this paper, we characterise this potential support in greater detail through a structured collection of perspectives from all stakeholders, namely the diabetic children, their siblings and parents, and the healthcare professionals involved in their diabetes education and care. A series of brain-storming sessions were conducted with 22 families with a diabetic child (32 children and 38 adults in total) to explore areas in which they expected that a robot could provide support and/or assistance. These perspectives were then reviewed, validated and extended by healthcare professionals to provide a medical grounding. The results of these analyses suggested a number of specific functions that a companion robot could fulfil to support diabetic children in their daily lives.