Pilot Observations of an Autonomous Red Light, Green Light Robot for Interactions with Children with Disabilities

Abstract

In the United States, approximately 7% of infants are born with a developmental disability that will impact their motor and social skill development. Assistive robotics are one method for promoting physical activity for children with disabilities, as they are motivating, repeatable, and adaptable. We implemented the popular children's game 'Red Light, Green Light' (RLGL) with an assistive robot mediator to assess whether robots can motivate children to play the game and engage in physical activity. We conducted two pilot RLGL sessions in each of two groups of children with disabilities. We saw that children actively played the game multiple times and wanted to continue playing with the robot. This paper can help inform future studies on robot-mediated physical activity promotion and play.