Medical clowns help hospitalized children in reducing pain and anxiety symptoms and increase the level of satisfaction in children's wards. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of medical clowns around the world. Furthermore, isolated children can not enjoy this service. This study explored the concept of a Robotic Medical Clown (RMC) and its role. We used mixed methods of elicitation to create a design space model for future robotic medical clowns. We investigated the needs, perceptions, and preferences of children and teenagers using four methods: interviewing medical clowns to learn how they perceive their role and the potential role of an RMC, conducting focus groups with teenagers, a one-on-one experience of children with a robot, and an online questionnaire. The concept of RMCs was acceptable to children, teenagers, and medical clowns. We found that the RMC's appearance affects the perception of its characters and role. Future work should investigate the interaction in hospitals.

翻译：医疗小丑能够帮助住院儿童减轻疼痛和焦虑症状，并提升儿童病房的满意度。然而，全球范围内医疗小丑资源短缺，且隔离儿童无法享受这一服务。本研究探索了机器人医疗小丑（RMC）的概念及其角色定位。我们采用混合启发式方法，为未来机器人医疗小丑构建设计空间模型。通过四种方法调查儿童和青少年的需求、认知与偏好：访谈医疗小丑以了解其自身角色认知及对RMC潜在角色的看法；开展青少年焦点小组讨论；组织儿童与机器人的一对一体验；以及进行在线问卷调查。儿童、青少年及医疗小丑均对RMC概念表示认可。研究发现，RMC的外观会影响对其性格和角色的认知。未来研究应探索其在医院场景中的互动方式。