Growing up is hard enough. Being a young child with autism is even more difficult. For those who have become frustrated with traditional treatments, there is hope. Social robots are more than tools for collecting data: they can be a real friend.
Social robots serve as therapeutic instruments that are modified to fit the specific needs of the child, allowing for more comfortable interactions and individualized learning. The robots are complete with cameras and monitors that can record data for diagnosing autism, and are equipped with interactive games that help to improve the child’s social, cognitive and motor skills. Though these bots won’t replace human therapists, they promise to serve as great learning assistants.
To learn more, check out this article at MIT Technology Review.
Image courtesy of Marco Nedermeijer, used under CC BY 2.0 license.