Proposal of a New Socially Assistive Robot with Embedded Serious Games for Therapy with Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and down Syndrome

Abstract

The recent incorporation of robots in therapies to improve the quality of life of children with some type of physical or intellectual disability demonstrates that robotics has reached an important role in contemporary life. These robots have instruments that aim to stimulate social, cognitive and physical skills in these children, allowing an improvement in their behavioral and/or physical aspects. This work proposes the development of a new socially assistive robot, termed MARIA T-21 (Mobile Autonomous Robot for Interaction with Autistics, with the addition of the word T21, meaning Trisomy 21, which is used to designate children with Down Syndrome (DS)). This new robot is to be used in psychomotor therapies with children with DS (contributing to improve their proprioception, postural balance and gait) as well as in psycosocial therapies with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This robot uses, as a novelty, an embedded mini-video projector able to project serious games on the floor or walls to make funnier already established therapies to chilren with DS and ASD, thus creating a motivating and facilitating effect for both children and therapists.