We all have hugged a teddy some time in our lives to overcome the blues. But MIT's Huggable Robot Teddy is unlike the plain soft toy teddy that most of us have in our closets. This cuddly interactive robotic teddy bear toy is tweaked to be termed as Therapeutic Toy in true sense. The bear is lined with over 1500 sensors for direct data transmission, has cameras for eyes, a microphone field in the ears, and has an internal wireless PC. The ear mics give the robot 'sound localization' so it can directly interact with people in space. The visual context from the cameras is even more impressive. Since touch therapy is effective for sick patients, MIT's Huggable Robot Teddy will soon find its place under the category of medical gadgets and not only toys.

Shaped out of silicon, the sensors record electrical field, force and temperature data every time the bear's body parts are touched. It also recognizes nine classes of affective touch like tickling, patting, poking, scratching, rubbing, squeezing, slapping, petting and light contact. From each of these, the bear is supposed to mimic a human-like response, eventually building an extensive database of appropriate replies and improving its function.

Source