A Socially Assistive Robotic Platform for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation: A Longitudinal Study With Pediatric Patients

Abstract

In motor rehabilitation therapies, especially with pediatric patients, there is often a loss of interest and motivation due to the lack of variety in exercises and therapeutic activities. NAOTherapist (NT) is a socially assistive robotics (SAR) platform designed to support hands-off rehabilitation sessions through two interactive games: mirror and Simon. It integrates a cognitive architecture with an NAO humanoid robot that acts as a coach, as well as a red-green-blue-depth (RGB-D) sensor that eases body capture. This work aims to deploy and evaluate the developed technology for a long-term experience.