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Project idea: Buddies for Autistic kids

User Group: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a severe developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact. The disorder can be last for years or even lifelong. There are 1.8 million cases of autism in the U.S. and increased by one every 20 minutes. [1] Usually, treatments can help, but this condition cannot be cured. I have been helping children with autism for four years. During my high school, I went to the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation every Sunday to spend a whole day with those lively kids. Most of them are orphans who are abandoned by their parents when they find out about the ASD. These children have difficulty with communication. Sometimes, they might interpret your expression in a different understanding. As volunteers, we need to learn how to have a conversation with them. For example, when teaching them a new skill, we need to know how to praise them when they act appropriately. Besides, some of them isolate themselves from others. They are afraid of communication and rather be alone. In addition to communication, these kids like to have a fixed routine. If anything unvarying happens, they will be anxious. Once a little boy was so angry that we did not know how to deal with it. Then, the nurse told us it was the time for going out, but we did not follow his schedule. As a result, as the problems mentioned above, the target user group is the children with autism.  

Proposed Solution: Kuri mobile social robot might be a good platform to build on as the following reasons:

Pre-set language and tone of voice for communication. We can apply our prior knowledge about how to communicate with these kids to the program and it is more consistent than human.

24/7 companion with the child. The robot can stay with the child all the time. Interact with them, like giving positive feedback after some activities. The robot can be the first step to encourage the child to socialize with others.

Keep information on their daily routine. It is easy to keep track of the schedule by programs so we can set up reminders for the events.

Provide private space for kids. They will be comfortable with the robot individually and people can check on them remotely. 

Compared with other technologies, the most beneficial characteristic of the robot is its anthropomorphic form. Children would find it charming and non-threatening. So, it would be more interactive and confident than other kinds of technologies. Besides, there is a learning barrier for technologies like tablets, computers and so on. 

Besides, the mobility is also an advantage for the robot platform. It can automatically follow the kids no matter they go. 

Tractability and Feasibility: Since Kuri has microphones for voice control and speakers to ‘talk’, it can interact with children using a program. Then, it has mobility so it can be programmed to follow the child, although it would be hard technically. Besides, the robot can be accessed by phone, we can input the schedule or some other module through the smartphone. 

Sources: [1] https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/health-medical/robots_may_help_kids_with_special_needs/

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Prior work: Telepresence Robot

Problem: There are a lot of children who suffer a long-term illness that keeps them out of the school. These children cannot communicate with their classmates or even do not have classmates since they have been stay in hospital or home from the first day of school. The isolation might cause some emotional development issue and makes them hard to communicate with peers afterward. Besides the loneliness and isolation, they also left a bunch of schoolwork because of absence. Since there is no Panapto in primary school or some middle school, the only way to catch up is hiring a home tutor. However, the additional cost on education is another burden besides the medical cost. 

Solution: The startup company, No Isolation launched the AV1 robot. It is a telepresence robot that can represent the child in the classroom and help the child communicate with the school in real-time.

Source: https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/04/av1-robot-no-isolation-norway-london-design-biennale/