Vertelknuffel SAMbuddy

Sharing feelings and emotions directly with adults is often difficult, which means the right help is not always provided. That’s where SAMbuddy Storytelling Cuddle helps.

This soft Storytelling Cuddle connects, offers trust, and a listening ear. Tell your story, listen back to it together via the app, and talk about it afterward.

Who is it for?

For children aged 3-11 years or people with an equivalent level of cognitive ability. Being able to speak, press a button, and understand what recording and playback mean is necessary for optimal use of SAMbuddy Storytelling Cuddle.

What is it?

SAMbuddy Storytelling Cuddle is a tool designed to improve psychological well-being by supporting communication between a child/client and a caregiver. SAMbuddy Storytelling Cuddle:

• Provides insight into the help request;
• Reduces tension between child and adult;
• Boosts self-confidence;
• Helps regulate emotions and stress;
• Delivers faster results in treatment processes.

SAMbuddy Storytelling Cuddle is approximately 30 x 30 cm and made of soft, allergy-free textiles by Atelier Unik in Breda, a sewing workshop for young people with a distance to the labor market. All fabric is reused material.

Inside is the 'heart' with three buttons and the app. SAMbuddy Storytelling Cuddle is not connected to the internet (offline safety), and only those with access can listen to the recorded stories. SAMbuddy is available in two versions:

1. Soft
2. Weighted (3kg)

Features

• Records stories and plays back questions/songs;
• Does not respond independently;
• Language-independent;
• Easy to use;
• Offline tool with respect for privacy;
• Connects easily with all phones and computers, without requiring an app installation;
• Does not connect to organizational networks;
• The app is bilingual in Dutch and English;
• Socially and sustainably produced;
• Tested by a broad range of users:
  o   In 3 primary schools;
  o   In 12 healthcare institutions with over 1,000 clients;
  o   By 5 universities of applied sciences with care and social robotics modules;
  o   And 14 independent psychological caregivers.

What can you do with it?

You can, of course, express yourself and share your story. Whenever you want and in any language.

As a caregiver, you can sing a song, ask questions, or record a short story. You can even play music or an audiobook via Bluetooth through the Storytelling Cuddle!

If you want, your story will always be heard, even when no one is listening at the moment.

Each Storytelling Cuddle runs the offline app, which automatically opens after connecting to the Storytelling Cuddle WiFi. So you can start immediately without installation and without linking to a secure organizational network. Only those with the WiFi password have access to this app and the recorded stories.
The Storytelling Cuddle provides feedback through vibration and light signals. And if you sleep with it at night, you can mute these signals.

Is there only one Storytelling Cuddle but multiple clients who each want to tell their own story? Each person can check in with their own card. This keeps questions and stories separate per user, ensuring privacy.

Who experiences the problem of not being heard?

Healthcare professionals, teachers, and parents who observe concerning behavior in their client/student/child and want to respond with appropriate help. This includes:

• Children in special education, with intellectual disabilities, or with trauma;
• Children with autism, those being bullied, or those growing up in difficult home situations, such as parental divorce, chronic illness, or the death of a family member;
• Refugee children traumatized by their flight.

What causes this problem?

The lack of time and staff in healthcare and education forces a focus on more functional, practical care. This type of care is measurable, controllable, and concrete.

Listening to the child/client and identifying an underlying psychological problem takes time. Psychological care is unpredictable in results and difficult to schedule. The increasing number of ‘social robots,’ such as daily schedule and entertainment robots in education and healthcare, indicates a growing need for psychological well-being, yet time is lacking.

What are the consequences of not being heard?

If it is unclear what is going on in someone's mind, it becomes difficult to provide the right help and guidance. Care processes take longer, and frustration, loneliness, and misunderstandings increase. A lack of social interaction raises the risk of physical and mental health problems.

Sharing trauma, fear, sadness, and anger is often difficult for children—especially those with autism or intellectual disabilities. They struggle to find the right words, fear the reaction, or feel uncomfortable speaking directly to someone.

How do we know this problem exists?

Education and healthcare professionals experience this daily with their students/clients who have psychological difficulties. Parents experience this when their child does not fit within the regular school system or is in an unsafe home environment.

Research among 250 professionals in healthcare and education shows:

• 75% of their clients have learning difficulties and do not receive the support they need. Often, it is unclear what the real issue is;
• 50% of them feel lonely or struggle with their emotions.

In June 2022, the WHO published a report on global mental well-being:

• 1 billion people suffer from mental disorders, including 140 million adolescents under 18.
• 1 in 100 people commits suicide, 58% of whom are under 50.
• People with mental disorders die 10-20 years earlier.
• Child abuse, bullying, and victimization are the leading causes of depression.
• Depression and anxiety have increased by 25% since COVID.

Source: WHO report, June 2022

How large is the target audience?

In the Netherlands:

• 350,000 children experience bullying, loneliness, or an unsafe home environment.
• 34,000 children attend special education.
• 62,000 children with intellectual disabilities require daily care.

For SAMbuddy Storytelling Cuddle:

• The feasible market is 3% (based on sales figures of other social robots in healthcare and education).
• The available market is 450,000 children in the Netherlands.
• The addressable market is 140 million adolescents worldwide.

Our Approach

The bond of trust between the client and the caregiver is essential when using the Vertelknuffel. Each client is unique, with their own needs and preferences in usage. We believe in the continuous exchange of knowledge and experience.

On the other hand, we do not want to burden future generations with overproduction and waste of resources. It would be terrible if Vertelknuffels were left unused in a closet while we know they could benefit so many people.

That is why we offer the Vertelknuffel as a subscription service. Use the Vertelknuffel for as long as you need and then return it. We will find it a new home. Your subscription will automatically end.

For children at home or clients in care and education institutions, we offer ‘full-service’ support through two subscription plans:

• Home: The Vertelknuffel supports communication with the client in a home setting.
• Care: The Vertelknuffel supports you as a healthcare or education professional in communication with clients.

And... Do you want to help a child yourself? You can also donate a Vertelknuffel! Check out this page.

Yes, I want to join you!

SAMbuddy was born on February 1, 2020, with the idea emerging during the Epe Creaton.