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Robot allows hospitalized kids to ‘attend’ Sporting KC matches virtually

Related Topics: Sporting Kansas City, Robot

Fifteen-year-old Kaylee Brown used to play soccer until cystic fibrosis made it difficult. Now a fan, she’s not always able to attend games because of her condition.

So Sporting Kansas City brought the game to Kaylee.

The Major League Soccer team and its stadium sponsor, Children’s Mercy Hospital, have been working with a robot named REX that allows hospitalized kids to experience a Sporting game day by virtually taking them to a match.

Kaylee got to test the telepresence robot named REX — short for Remote Experience — during a recent hospital stay. REX will make his official debut Wednesday when Sporting KC hosts the Seattle Sounders.