--- description: Robots were able to perform routine tasks like greeting patients, providing directions, and answering questions during the trials with patients. title: Robots in Hospitals Pass Patient Testing Phase image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9cd6bf6752b0c93a/698a4456db2987dc9d269c7a/GettyImages-1944395992.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Robots Created to Help Patients in Hospitals Pass Testing Phase ## Video: As Tech CEOs Are Grilled Over Child Safety Online, AI Is Complicating the Issue [Watch (HLS stream): As Tech CEOs Are Grilled Over Child Safety Online, AI Is Complicating the Issue](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/i7owfiCa.m3u8) (7:10)  _Published 2024-01-31. The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child exploitation on their platforms, as lawmakers, families and advocates are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives. The hearing started with recorded testimonies from kids and parents who said they or their children were exploited on social media._ by [Anna Gordon](/author/anna-gordon/) ## Anna Gordon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Jan 31, 2024 2:04 PM CUT  Robots were successfully able to understand the needs of patients in initial trials. Pictured here is another case of robotics in healthcare—a system programmed by the Rostock scientists for the care of stroke patients in Germany. Robots were successfully able to understand the needs of patients in initial trials. Pictured here is another case of robotics in healthcare—a system programmed by the Rostock scientists for the care of stroke patients in Germany.Jens Büttner—Getty Images by [Anna Gordon](/author/anna-gordon/) ## Anna Gordon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Jan 31, 2024 2:04 PM CUT A collection of eight robots designed by [PAL Robotics](https://pal-robotics.com/collaborative-projects/spring/ "undefined") and trialed by researchers collaborating across multiple universities in Europe and the Middle East have successfully passed the testing phase with patients. The robots, referred to as SPRING (Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological Healthcare), are designed to provide comfort to elderly patients and alleviate their anxiety, while reducing the burden placed on nursing staff in busy environments. “We believe that the SPRING project marks a significant milestone in the development of interactive robotics, and we are proud of its achievements, while recognising the exciting challenges that lie ahead," Oliver Lemon, a professor of AI and academic co-lead at the National Robotarium stated in [a press release](https://www.hw.ac.uk/news/articles/2024/socially-assistive-robots-ease-pressure-on.htm#:~:text=The%20SPRING%20%28Socially%20Assistive%20Robots,with%20elderly%20volunteers%20at%20Assistance "undefined"). The results of the tests showed that robots were able to perform routine tasks like greeting patients, provide directions, and answer questions during the initial trials in Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris in France. They were also able to understand group conversations and facilitate assistance based on what patients asked of them. These advances were made possible by the progress seen in large language models in recent years, the type of artificial intelligence technology that powers [ChatGPT](https://time.com/6238781/chatbot-chatgpt-ai-interview/ "undefined"). ### More From TIME The use of robots also reduced the amount of physical contact healthcare workers had with patients, which could help reduce the spread of infections in hospital settings. The SPRING project began nearly four and half years ago and is funded by [Horizon 2020](https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-2020%5Fen "undefined"), a research and innovation initiative by the European Union. “The prospect of robots seamlessly collaborating with hospital staff to enhance the patient experience is now closer to reality” said Lemon. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6590440/robots-hospital-patient-testing-phase-ai-assistance/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6590440/robots-hospital-patient-testing-phase-ai-assistance/"},"headline":"Robots Created to Help Patients in Hospitals Pass Testing Phase","datePublished":"2024-01-31T14:04:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:06:08.975Z","description":"Robots were able to perform routine tasks like greeting patients, providing directions, and answering questions during the trials with patients.","url":"https://time.com/6590440/robots-hospital-patient-testing-phase-ai-assistance/","keywords":["Tech","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9cd6bf6752b0c93a/698a4456db2987dc9d269c7a/GettyImages-1944395992.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Anna Gordon","jobTitle":"Gordon was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau.","url":"https://time.com/author/anna-gordon/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9cd6bf6752b0c93a/698a4456db2987dc9d269c7a/GettyImages-1944395992.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Science Minister visits the Rostock AI Center","caption":"Science Minister visits the Rostock AI Center","creditText":"Jens Büttner—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6590440/robots-hospital-patient-testing-phase-ai-assistance/","name":"Robots Created to Help Patients in Hospitals Pass Testing Phase"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"As Tech CEOs Are Grilled Over Child Safety Online, AI Is Complicating the Issue","description":"The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child exploitation on their platforms, as lawmakers, families and advocates are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives. 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