The Deep View: AI for Good

Posted on July 8, 2025 by michelleclarke2015
 
🐶 AI for Good: Robot dogs bring therapy and learning to lifeSource: Stanford

Most robotics education costs tens of thousands of dollars and leaves students working with expensive equipment they can’t take home. Stanford flipped that model on its head. For under $1,000, students build their own AI-powered robot dogs from scratch, program them with cutting-edge machine learning and take them home when the course ends.

What happened: In Stanford’s CS 123 course, students build Pupper robots from scratch over 10 weeks, learning everything from motor control to machine learning. For final projects, students program their robots for specialized tasks like serving as tour guides or tiny firefighters. The robots have also been deployed at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital to help young patients.

Students master full robotics spectrum — from electrical work to AI programming in one hands-on course

Low barrier to entry — requires only basic programming skills to start building sophisticated robots

Open-source design — costs $600-1000 and available to K-12 schools worldwide

Real therapeutic impact — 12-year-old patient Tatiana Cobb said her robot “reminds me of my own dog at home” and helped her feel less isolated

Proven medical benefits — pet therapy research shows robots can lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and motivate physical activity. The robots evolved from Stanford Doggo, an earlier project by the Stanford Student Robotics club, and are designed to be small, safe and playful rather than intimidating.

Why it matters: These robots are democratizing advanced AI education while providing genuine therapeutic value. By making sophisticated robotics accessible to students everywhere, Stanford is training the next generation of engineers. Meanwhile, for pediatric patients who can’t always have access to therapy animals, these mechanical companions offer comfort when it matters most.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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