Probolino: A portable low-cost social device for home-based autism therapy

Abstract

Recent research has shown that social robots are beneficial in therapeutic interventions for children with autism in clinical environment. For the generalization of the skills learned in therapy sessions outside the clinic or laboratory, the therapeutic process needs to be continued at home. Therefore, social robotic devices should be designed with smaller sizes, lower costs, and higher levels of autonomy. This paper presents the development of Probolino, a portable and low-cost social robotic device based on the social robot Probo. The system functions as a “robotic cognitive orthotic” which is an intermediate step between a computer and a robot without motion. Interactive games are developed to help children with autism spectrum disorders make social decisions in daily activities. These activities are configured in a time-line by therapists or parents via a web interface. Probolino is expected to enhance the efficiency of current robot-assisted autism therapy.