Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social interaction and communication deficits and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour. One potential intervention for ASD is animal-assisted therapy, which can improve physiological and psychological health. Animal-assisted therapy, however, is not widely accepted or possible due to potential negative effects of animals on vulnerable populations, health and safety concerns, and cost. Robot-assisted therapy could be offered as an alternative and result in similar health benefits. The MiRo robot, a companion biomimetic robot, has the potential to be used as a social healthcare robot. The aim of the proposed study is to investigate the effects of an interaction with MiRo on a group of children with ASD. In particular, the effect of MiRo on children’s mood, well-being, and involvement will be examined. The results of this study would allow us to examine the potential companion robots have to be used in robot therapy and social healthcare.
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Panagiotidi, M., Wilson, S., Prescott, T. (2019). Exploring the Potential of the Animal-Like Robot MiRo as a Therapeutic Tool for Children Diagnosed with Autism. In: Martinez-Hernandez, U., et al. Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. Living Machines 2019. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11556. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24741-6_36
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