Exploring the potential of the animal-like Robot MiRo as a therapeutic tool for children diagnosed with autism

Panagiotidi, M; Wilson, S; Prescott, T

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.

Citation

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 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

• Start Date: Jul 10, 2019
• End Date: Jul 12, 2019
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jul 6, 2019
• Publication Date: Jul 6, 2019
• Deposit Date: Jul 10, 2019
• Book Title: Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. Living Machines 2019. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 11556
• ISBN: 9783030247409
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24741-6_36
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24741-6_36
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference; Projects : Robot-assisted therapy for children with autism; Grant Number: HLGC1601