Exploring the use of a mobile robot as an imitation agent with children with low-functioning autism

Unpredictability and complexity of social interactions are important challenges for a low functioning autistic child. The objective of this research is to study how a mobile robot can, by appearing more predictable, appealing and simple than a human being, facilitate reciprocal interaction such as i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Autonomous robots 2008-02, Vol.24 (2), p.147-157
Main Authors: Duquette, Audrey, Michaud, François, Mercier, Henri
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial Intelligence
Computer Imaging
Control
Engineering
Mechatronics
Pattern Recognition and Graphics
Robotics
Robotics and Automation
Robots
Vision
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Summary:Unpredictability and complexity of social interactions are important challenges for a low functioning autistic child. The objective of this research is to study how a mobile robot can, by appearing more predictable, appealing and simple than a human being, facilitate reciprocal interaction such as imitative play. By conducting an exploratory study involving four children, we found that forms of shared conventions such as imitation of body movements and of familiar actions are higher with two children paired with a human mediator, compared to two children paired with a robot mediator. However, the two children paired with the robot mediator demonstrated increased shared attention (visual contact, physical proximity) and imitate facial expressions (smile) more than the children paired with the human mediator.
ISSN:0929-5593
1573-7527
DOI:10.1007/s10514-007-9056-5