Abstract:
Research in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) has gained significant momentum in recent years, particularly in developing robot-based intervention systems to assist children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These studies have utilized HRI platforms to improve impaired skills, such as social skills, motor skills, and behavior. Recently, robot-based therapies have shown promising outcomes in enhancing the social skills of children with ASD.
This paper elaborates on a pilot study investigating the initial responses of children with ASD when introduced to the humanoid QTrobot. QTrobot was chosen for its ability to display facial expressions, which is crucial for employing differential reinforcement techniques. The pilot experiment consisted of five simple modules designed to elicit responses from the participants. The results indicate that the humanoid QTrobot has significant potential as an HRI platform to initiate interaction among children with ASD.
Reference:
El-Muhammady, Muhammad Faisal, et al. “Initial response in HRI: a pilot study on autism spectrum disorder children interacting with a humanoid QTrobot.” International Conference on Robot Intelligence Technology and Applications. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022.