Several interesting research studies are currently underway revealing the interesting interaction between children with autism and robots. How can we develop robots that will help us better understand and engage our kids? How can technology help us evaluate our children’s skills and needs? How can robots help us teach our children new skills? Currently, robots are being used to help provide early diagnosis for children with autism.
Zeno the autism robot, is the fruit of a collaboration between Dr. Dan Popa at the University of Texas Arlington, Hanson RoboKind, Dallas Autism Treatment Centre, Texas Instruments and National Instruments. This robot was created by former Disney imagineer and Hanson Robot owner, David Hanson.
Zeno uses a variety of non-verbal communication and cues to interact with children on the autism spectrum. The use of non-verbal communication is crucial while evaluating a child that is pre, or non, verbal.
Image New Electronics
Zeno provides communication therapy sessions to children with autism under the direction of qualified and skilled therapists.
Therapists are using Zeno to help them accurately evalute children’s skills. They are also using robots to help children with autism work on communication and social interaction and to learn to follow instructions.
The therapeutic robot family is growing! Zeno now has a brother, Milo, who was created specifically to engage in direct therapy with children with autism. He also has international cousins – Kaspar who was created and developed by the University of Hertfordshire’s Adaptive Systems Research Group and Nao who was developed in 2006 by Aldebaran Robotics.
You can read more about Milo, Zeno’s brother, soon…
You can read a wonderful article about Zeno’s work with children with autism on the Front Porch Stapleton website.
Image Front Porch Stapleton
Has your child worked with an autism robot? Does this topic interest you? I would love to hear from you in the comments below!
Cover image Front Porch Stapleton.
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