The Therapeutic Use of Humanoid Robots for Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

In this work, we illustrate an innovative treatment for patients affected by Behavioral Disorders, that relies on the use of Pepper humanoid robot. This new therapeutic methodology was created to support and make the therapist's work more attractive. Pepper is equipped with a tablet and two identical cameras. The tablet is used to let the patient interact with the application, while the cameras are used to capture their real-time emotions to understand the degree of attention and any difficulty that they may have. The interaction with the tablet takes place through some exercises in the form of games. The exercises performed by the subject are analyzed and combined with the data captured by the cameras. The combination of these data is processed to propose appropriate levels of therapeutic activities. This process leads to the digitization of the patient's healing path so that any improvement (or worsening) is monitored and causes Pepper to become a reliable and predictable technological intermediary for the child. The work has been developed in collaboration with a diagnostic and therapeutic center. Interacting with a humanoid robot, children exhibit a higher engagement, which can be explained, according to the psychologists, by the fact that a robot is emotionally less rich than human beings, and the patient feels less scared.