A Robot for Social Interaction with Children with Autism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69789/creaciencia.v15i2.658Keywords:
Robi, autism, robot, therapies, El SalvadorAbstract
The present research was based on the creation, development, and implementation of a robot with the appearance of a six-year-old child; its main function is to serve as a support tool in classroom activities, both for therapists and teachers, focused on the social interaction of autistic children. The robot named "Robi" is a humanoid robot with the appearance of a child; it is capable of performing various basic activities focused on the social interaction of children with special needs, including autism. Based on previous research,(1) the robot was built to support therapies for children with special needs. The new research was developed over four years, one year longer than planned due to the events of the 2020 pandemic; in 2021 the robot was redesigned and, subsequently, fieldwork was carried out at the Special Education School in the department of Usulután, El Salvador. Specialists in mechatronics, health, psychology, and education were involved in the creation and validation of indicators to measure the results of the therapies facilitated to the children. At the end of the research, children who participated in activities with the robot showed progress in interaction based on certain criteria; recommendations are provided for future research to achieve better results than those obtained in this study.
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