The Problem and Motivation Behind
“One day in the hospital, we saw a little girl alone in the corner of the hospital. She was quarantined by herself. She was getting some UV infusion because of her disease, and She had to do it by herself. No one accompanied her. She looked very lonely. That moment made me realise we needed to do something.” – Wenhao.
Wenhao Feng (20-year-old) and his team are nursing students. During one of their visits to the hospital where they were attending training, they notice a little girl—isolated in a room, receiving treatment without anyone by her side. That moment sparked a powerful sense of purpose: to design a solution that could comfort children enduring hospital stays on their own.
The Innovative Solution
“We wanted to build a companion doll that could comfort children in hospital—talk to them, play music, even take their temperature … this doll could also improve their experience and satisfaction in the hospital “- Wenhao.
When Wenhao and his team joined the Youth Innovation Lab, they decided to focus on the loneliness and lack of emotional support that many children experience during hospital stays. Using the Design Thinking approach, they started by visiting hospitals and speaking with families and staff. These interviews revealed that hospitalisation can have a negative impact on children, especially when they are isolated or separated from their loved ones. Parents also expressed concern about solutions that rely too much on screen time, fearing that it could hurt eyesight.
Wenhao and his team then began brainstorming ways to solve the problem. They came up with the idea of a soft, interactive, and emotionally supportive doll. To make it comforting for children, they used silicone material and created different appearances—like superheroes and cuddly animals—so each child could choose a design they liked. But this doll was more than just a toy. It included built-in AI that could talk to children, tell stories, play music, and even show videos. They developed two versions of the doll, one for family to be used at house. Another for hospital use, in which they also added a thermometer inside the doll to gently monitor the child’s temperature, helping nurses keep track without disturbing the child.
Their prototype of smart companion doll was positively received by their mentors, parents and hospital staff for its creativity and benefit for children. However, it remained as prototype as the team lack technical expertise and financial resources to start producing this doll.
Lessons Learned and Addressing Challenges
“Before this, I thought starting a business was simple—just have an idea and do it. But I realised you need market research, long-term planning, and a solid structure. Otherwise, it will fail.” – Wenhao.
Wenhao and his team learned about entrepreneurship and how to turn simple ideas into business plans through their participation in the Youth Innovation Lab. They learned how to analyse the market needs to ensure the value of their solution.
Reflecting on their learning, Wenhao identified two major lessons learned of their experiences:
- A more diverse team could have been more able to implement their solution: Though their prototype was detailed, and they did extensive efforts to imagine how it would look like, implementing their solution proved challenging. The biggest challenge was lacking technical expertise in engineering and Artificial Intelligence that were required . “Our team did not know much about engineering or AI… I can only make a model,” Wenchao explained.
- Ensuring the shared interest and commitment from the team members from the beginning: Wenhao found that other team members were not motivated enough to contribute their time to develop this solution. As a lesson learned, he realised the importance of building a team with shared goals and sustained interest in developing the solution . In future projects, he plans to prioritise finding teammates who are not only skilled but also genuinely passionate about the issue they are trying to the problem.
Next Steps and Future Aspirations
“I learned that you can either choose to be invisible to those around you or take the lead to help them. I want to make life more convenient and happier for children and the people around me.”
Though the smart companion doll remains a prototype, Wenhao did not given up. He is still deeply passionate about children’s wellbeing and continues to reflect on how to continue developing this solution with better technical and financial support.