CHLA and T2 Tech Introduce Robotic Companion “Pepper” to Hospitalized Children

October 30, 2019 | Los Angeles, CA

Helping CHLA create hope and build healthier futures, T2 Tech Group helps fund an interactive and friendly robot for patients and visitors.

In 2018, as part of ongoing community outreach and support efforts, T2 Tech Group teamed up with Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA) to invest in an autonomous, humanlike robot named Pepper.

Pepper’s debut was welcomed by patients, staff and visitors alike as it greeted and interacted with humans in the hospital’s lobby. Pepper is one of a new generation of humanoid robots designed with the ability to read emotions. According to French developer Softbank Robotics Europe SAS, over 2,000 companies in multiple industries around the world have adopted Pepper as an assistant to welcome, inform and guide visitors in an innovative way.

“We were excited to help the hospital’s Information Systems department invest in such a fun and innovative piece of equipment,” said Kevin Torf, Managing Partner of T2 Tech Group. “Pepper brings a smile to everyone’s face, and there’s nothing better at a children’s hospital. We hope to see more like Pepper and the future of humanoid robots in healthcare.”

Pepper is able to observe human emotions and adapt its behavior to those interactions. The robot can identify emotions like happiness, sadness, anger or surprise and respond appropriately, making its conversations with humans seem very natural. Pepper’s technology allows it to analyze what you say, your tone of voice and nonverbal communication cues such as body language and eye contact. These cues allow Pepper to give responses that are encouraging and often entertaining. For example, Pepper loves to dance and take selfies. Since Pepper’s rollout, its engaging personality has brought smiles and even a sense of relief to the hospital’s patients and visitors.

Pepper has other impressive abilities such as:

  • Speech recognition and dialogue available in 15 languages
  • Touch screen display on its chest to highlight messages and support speech
  • Touch sensors, LEDs and microphones for multimodal interactions
  • Infrared sensors, bumpers, an inertial unit, 2D and 3D cameras, and sonars for omnidirectional and autonomous navigation
  • Open and fully programmable platform for future customization

Learn more about T2 Tech Group, their mission, services and clients by visiting www.t2techgroup.com.