The name for the Red Deer RCMP’s victim services robot was announced today.

Out of 200 contest submissions, six-year-old, Laney Read named the robot Ard-E. The name is a combination of the letters R and D for Red Deer and the name of a favorite Disney character, Wall-E. In addition to naming the robot, Laney Read will be made Police chief for the Day.

“Originally developed for use in the medical field, the robot interacts with children in a way that adults simply can’t—making stressful and often frightening situations a little less overwhelming for children. Our robot will assist and comfort children when they give statements, participate in interviews, and prepare for and attend court,” said Constable Derek Turner from the Red Deer RCMP.

The robot has been used before with children in the medical field but the Red Deer RCMP is the very first detachment in the world with their own Robocop. It is designed to help kids understand certain processes of the law that can seem frightening, and there will be many studies done on the bot to measure its success.

Ard-E was purchased through donations made to Red Deer Victim Services and there is a range of things that he can do including, helping a child to breathe slowly, sing, speak, move, and dance.

“One of the features of the robot that we think will be the most helpful for children is court preparation. Appearing in court is difficult for anyone, but it can be especially difficult for children. The robot walks through the process with children telling them exactly what to expect and even teaches them how to use deep breathing when they are anxious,” added Constable Derek Turner.

Now that Ard-E has been named, the bot will get his own Facebook account and will soon be touring local schools.