Interactive Tracking for Robot-Assisted Autism Therapy

Abstract

Autism therapy is often associated with enormous financial cost. Robotic technology is promising for autism applications for its affordability, multimodal interaction, and being able to provide repeatable, standardized stimulus while quantitatively recording and monitoring performance. A robot integrated into the therapy session enhances the ability to collect relevant data such as attention, affect, gaze direction, and gestures in addition to conventional measures. The PABI® is a penguin-like humanoid robot built for guiding Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy; it was developed from the ground up for this application taking into account the psychological underpinnings. Through facial expressions, body motion, verbal cues, vision-based tracking, and a tablet computer, the robot interacts meaningfully with an autistic child. The system has been piloted with five children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).