The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging is pleased to welcome Dr. Julie Robillard as a new Investigator. Dr. Robillard recently appeared in a CTV News Vancouver interview highlighting how social robots are being used to support comfort, engagement, and emotional well-being in healthcare settings.
In the interview, Dr. Robillard discusses her team’s work using social robots with pediatric patients at BC Children’s Hospital. These robots—ranging from interactive plush companions to more expressive humanoid devices—help reduce stress, support procedural comfort, and offer children a safe, playful way to express and regulate emotions.
Supporting Well-Being Across the Life Course
While much of the segment focuses on pediatric care, Dr. Robillard notes (at 2:25 in the interview) that these technologies have tremendous potential for older adults as well.
For older adults, social robots may help [1][2]:
- reduce loneliness and social isolation
- support cognitive and emotional engagement
- offer companionship in long-term care and home settings
- assist with prompting daily routines
- reduce anxiety during medical procedures
This aligns strongly with ELCHA’s mission to advance technologies that promote independence, connection, and well-being throughout aging.
Watch the Interview
📺 CTV News Video — “Social Robots Comforting Patients at BC Children’s Hospital.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/video/2025/11/20/social-robots-comforting-patients-at-bc-childrens-hospital/
About Dr. Robillard’s Research
Dr. Julie Robillard is an Associate Professor in UBC’s Department of Medicine and a national leader in the ethical development and evaluation of socially assistive technologies. Her work explores how emerging technologies—such as social robots, conversational agents, and AI tools—can be designed and deployed responsibly to support people. Read more about Dr. Robillard’s work on our feature news article: https://healthyaging.med.ubc.ca/news/welcome-dr-julie-robillard
[1] Hung, L., Liu, C., Woldum, E. et al. The benefits of and barriers to using a social robot PARO in care settings: a scoping review. BMC Geriatr 19, 232 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-019-1244-6
[2]2 Martin SE, Zhang CC, Tam MT, et al “That’s me at my best”: perspectives of older adults on involvement in technology research Medical Humanities 2024;50:648-656.