Journal-News: UC studies art, pet robot therapy
University of Cincinnati researchers are studying how art therapy delivered through a mobile app and pet therapy with a robotic dog can affect the wellbeing and mental health of patients with hearing loss.
All patients in the pilot study will be given a tablet, create art based on prompts from the app and then self-report on their mood. Half of the patients in the study will additionally be given a robotic dog to interact with.
Claudia B. Rebola, PhD, associate dean for research, associate professor and director of the new Center for DAAP Research and Innovation (CDRI) on Health and Wellbeing in the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, told the Journal-News that patients can quickly develop attachments to the robotic dogs like they do with real furry friends.
“And while you know it’s an animal robotic agent — it’s not a real dog — you attach feelings to it, in terms of routines, and interactions, and you expect a bark in response to, let’s say I turn on the lights, and then the dog barks, like saying, ‘hello.’ So you quickly develop a sense of presence with these robots in your life," she said.
Read the Journal-News article. (Note: Article may require a subscription.)
Featured photo at top of robotic dog. Photo/Ravenna Rutledge/University of Cincinnati.
Related Stories
Sugar overload killing hearts
November 10, 2025
Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.
Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?
November 10, 2025
The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease
November 10, 2025
An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.