Entry Date:
April 8, 2019

A Robot Coach That Listens and Responds

Principal Investigator Rosalind Picard

Co-investigator Cynthia Breazeal


Depression and other mood disorders are still diagnosed and tracked with information that patients give to their doctors, complicating efforts to deliver more personalized therapy. In this pilot project, MIT researchers are developing an emotional-wellness coach that can provide a daily shot of individualized attention and support. Subjects recruited to the study will grade their coach's ability to provide timely and effective advice. The study will also examine whether robot coaches offer better emotional support than state-of-the-art mobile apps already in use.