Robot duck aims to help kids with cancer via power of play

A plush, robotic duck may soon become a fixture in the world of children who have cancer -- a social robot that can be silly, happy, angry, scared or sick just like them, and help them cope creatively with their illness through the power of play. The duck, developed by robotics expert Aaron Horowitz and his company, is undergoing testing and is expected to be widely distributed by the end of this year. Horowitz said he was diagnosed as a child with human growth development deficiency and had to give himself daily injections for five years. The experience, he said, made him want to help other children with illnesses, which led to his co-founding of the Rhode Island-based company Sproutel with a partner he met at Northwestern University. Health care facilities from children's hospitals to nursing homes have been experimenting for more than a decade with the use of robots for social companionship and emotional health.