Brenner Children’s Hospital introduces talking robot to young patients

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Posted: Oct 25, 2015 / 08:31 PM EDT / Updated: Oct 25, 2015 / 08:31 PM EDT

Five-year-old Gracie Harrison, right, laughs watching Brenner Robot dance on a table at Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC. Gracie’s mother, Jennifer Harrison, left, said it was the first time her daughter had smiled since coming into the hospital. The programmable, fully-articulated robot is used to help children cope with stress and fears while undergoing treatment in the hospital. The robot can walk, dance, sing, tell stories, and talk to young patients. (David Rolfe/Journal)

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Five-year-old Gracie clung to her mother’s leg as she walked with her IV poll into the eighth-floor lobby at Brenner Children’s Hospital, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

She hesitated, slightly hiding her face, as if unsure what to make of Brenner, a 2-foot-tall, 11-pound robot, who was sitting on a small table.

Gracie’s mother, Jennifer Harrison of China Grove, sat in a chair close to Brenner Robot and put her daughter on her lap.

Then, just before telling them a story, Brenner did something unexpected.

Read full story: The Winston-Salem Journal