Papers
3
Total Citations
35
H-Index
2
About
Maoko Hayakawa is a pioneering researcher in pediatric robot-assisted therapy, focusing on the use of social robots to alleviate distress in hospitalized children. Her work centers on the therapeutic potential of Sony’s dog-like robot, “aibo,” to improve emotional well-being in pediatric settings. Her most cited study (2021, 22 citations) is a pilot investigation of group robot intervention (GRI) for pediatric inpatients and their caregivers, demonstrating that aibo can foster positive interactions and reduce stress in clinical environments. A subsequent study (2022, 11 citations, later retracted) explored aibo’s effects on fear and distress during medical procedures, highlighting the urgent need for non-pharmacological interventions. Despite the retraction, Hayakawa’s research has sparked critical discussions on ethical and methodological standards in human-robot interaction studies. Her work has accumulated over 35 citations, underscoring its influence in the emerging field of social robotics for pediatric care. Hayakawa’s contributions are notable for bridging engineering, psychology, and nursing, offering a compassionate vision for technology in healthcare.
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