High-tech help for autistic kids: Robots

[Photo by Zhou Huiying/China Daily]

The genetic disorder affects about 1 percent of the world's population. In China, more than 10 million people have autism. Of those, more than 2 million are under age 14, according to a report on the development of autism rehabilitation techniques.

"It is estimated that the number of children with autism will continue to increase in the next few years."

Li Huaining, deputy director of the hospital, said the number of afflicted children has been increasing. "Now, every month, we receive about 70 children for treatment and rehabilitation."

To meet the increasing demand, the RoBoHoN robots were developed by Harbin Children's Hospital and Harbin E-Medical Technology Co to assist doctors and parents.

They fulfill important tasks at home, such as tracking a child's health, providing reminders to take medicines, providing comfort for lonely children and sending medical data to doctors.

Further, parents have access to long-distance medical consultations through the robot. Taking a robot home costs about 20 yuan ($3) per day.

According to the company, the technology used in the robots will be widely applied in sectors such as online medical treatment in the future.