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Robotic baby seal boosts mood in hospitalized kids

NCT ID NCT05275543

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Nebraska Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether a robotic baby harp seal could help children aged 5-18 feel less anxious and more motivated during physical or occupational therapy in the hospital. Twenty-five kids used the robot during their sessions, and researchers measured their pain, anxiety, and satisfaction. The goal was to see if the robot was a practical and acceptable way to bring the benefits of animal therapy to kids who cannot have a live animal.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Paro robot (a robotic baby harp seal)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a safe, animal-free way to comfort children during hospital rehab and make therapy more enjoyable.
What could go wrong
This was a very small, early feasibility study with only 25 children, so results may not apply to all kids. The robot is not a medical device and does not treat the underlying disease.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

25 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2022

Finished

Jan 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

5 to 18 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 5-18 * admitted to any of the five inpatient units at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Omaha, NE * have an available parent or guardian * have an active consult request for PT or OT * awake, alert, able to follow commands * not delirious * able to understand English * free from significant vision or hearing deficits * able to verbalize. Exclusion Criteria: * Have a pacemaker * have airborne, enteric, or enhanced contact precautions * wounds without a covering dressing or a dressing that is visibly soiled * known adverse psychological reactions to animals * excessive secretions via nose or mouth * report feeling nauseated * shows signs of acute agitation (yelling, screaming, moaning, or is otherwise inconsolable).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Animal assisted therapy Child, hospitalized Occupational therapy Pediatric ALL Physical therapy modalities

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Children's Hosptial and Medical Center

    Omaha, Nebraska, 68114, United States

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