• The activity is part of a collaboration agreement between the Consellería de Sanidade and the Colexio Profesional de Enxeñaría en Informática de Galicia (CPEIG)

A Coruña, July 18, 2024.- The Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (CHUS) hosted a robotics workshop for hospitalized children this past Wednesday. The activity was attended by the Conselleiro de Sanidade, Antonio Gómez Caamaño, the president of CPEIG, Fernando Suárez Lorenzo, as well as the deputy director of CITIC, Javier Pereira Loureiro, the deputy director general of Systems and Information Technologies, Benigno Rosón, the manager of the Santiago de Compostela and Barbanza health area, Ángel Facio Villanueva, and a representative of the CHUS technology area.

The workshop was conducted by CITIC members Manuel Lagos Rodríguez, María del Carmen Miranda Duro, Patricia Concheiro, and Javier Pereira, who guided the children in these technological and educational activities.

The initiative aims to alleviate the stress of young patients while sparking their interest in technology and science, thus fostering playful and motivating learning during their hospital stay.

Activities

During the workshop, about ten children aged 3 to 14 enjoyed various innovative and educational activities. CITIC staff taught them interactive augmented reality exercises and a “Fruit Piano”, created using fruits as keys so the children could make music with this adapted instrument. They also showcased a robot dog; Robobo, an educational robot designed by CITIC researchers, and a programmable mini-drone.

To carry out these activities, CITIC staff used technological materials such as MakeyMakey or programmable mini-drones.

The initiative

The agreement between CPEIG and the Consellería de Sanidade aims to offer a positive distraction to hospitalized children, contributing to their emotional and mental recovery. It includes the implementation of 14 workshops, two per health area per year, in the children’s classrooms of the pediatric areas of Galician public hospitals.

These interactive and practical activities will provide a positive distraction from each patient’s medical situation, making the hospital stay more bearable. Additionally, the workshops are designed to be conducted in groups, promoting social interaction, although virtual sessions are also planned for patients who cannot participate physically.