National Robotarium socially assistive robot trial collaboration concludes

Researchers from the National Robotarium in Edinburgh have recently concluded a trial collaboration in Paris, testing socially assistive robots in a hospital setting. The SPRING (Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological healthcare) trial utilized robots with advanced AI capabilities to interact with patients, assist nursing staff, and perform routine tasks. The trial showed that the robots helped to reduce infection transmission risks and relieve pressure on healthcare staff, leading to a more productive workforce. The robots were successful in engaging with patients and could potentially become essential in patient care in hospitals. Additionally, advances in large language models (LLM) have allowed robots to have natural conversations with multiple individuals, enhancing care delivery and safety. The €8.4 million SPRING project was a collaborative effort between multiple research institutions and received support from the EU-funded programme Horizon 2020.