According to IEEE Spectrum, Professor Maja Matarić from the University of Southern California (USC) has received the 2025 Robotics Medal from MassRobotics for her pioneering contributions to socially assistive robotics. She co-founded this field in 2005 to develop interactive robots that assist people with rehabilitation and psychological therapy.
Background
In the 1990s, Matarić built Toto, the first behavior-based navigation robot, before pivoting to socially assistive robotics after giving birth. She wanted to build robots that genuinely help people rather than focusing solely on theoretical research. Her lab at USC subsequently developed various robots, including Bandit to support children with autism and Blossom to help students practice cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Recent Developments
Recent clinical trials by her research team have yielded highly promising results. In a study conducted at USC dormitories, students who used the Blossom robot integrated with a Large Language Model (LLM) to practice CBT showed a significant reduction in psychological stress levels, whereas the group using a traditional chatbot saw no noticeable improvement despite utilizing the same AI model.
Why It Matters
Professor Matarić's research opens up a new avenue for applying technology in mental healthcare, a field currently overwhelmed in many countries. Rather than relying solely on text-based AI chatbots, the physical presence of socially assistive robots can provide more effective, real-world interaction and deliver greater emotional motivation for patients.