Question: is there a robot that solves depresion??

Katie Pavey answered on 5 Mar 2017:

That’s such an interesting question 472rbth32.

In my job we often use our robots as replacements for humans. We can give them tasks that are repetitive and need a lot of strength and accuracy. They don’t need to ‘think’ they just need to follow a set of instructions over and over again. It works really well.

But what about jobs that need compassion and thought, like a doctor? Can we use robots instead of people here – would people want to talk to a robot doctor?

I had to look it up when you asked, but there are people working on robots that can do this. Researchers in California have created a robot therapist called “Ellie” who can spot the early signs of depression.

We already use robots to help diagnose many medical conditions (MRI, X-Ray machines etc. are all types of robot really), so why wouldn’t we use technology to help diagnose things like depression? Personally, I think there also needs to be a human side too – just like in my job, robots and humans working together is often the best combination.