Jordi Albo-Canals

A field study with primary school children on perception of social presence and interactive behavior with a pet robot

This paper presents a study on (1) how children experience a pet robot, (2) how they play with it and (3) how childrens perceptions on and interaction with pet robots are interrelated. The study features different types of subjective and objective techniques to assess the degree of perceived social entity from self-reports (i.e. questionnaires) and observed behavior. Three short questionnaires and an ad hoc code scheme of 15 low-level micro-behaviors were developed. 28 scholars aged 8 to 12 were observed at school during a play period with a Pleo robot and asked to answer the questionnaires. We found that the different questionnaire based methods were in line each other. Therefore, anyone of them can be used to measure the experience of a social entity. Play analyses showed that the two most prevalent behaviors were clearly social: petting the robot and showing it objects to engage in interaction. Moreover, children spent on average less than one per cent of the session time treating the robot as an artifact. However, significant covariation between the experience of a social entity and observed behavior could not be established.

Exploring Requirements and Alternative Pet Robots for Robot Assisted Therapy with Older Adults with Dementia

Robot assisted therapy has been applied in care for older adults who suffer from dementia for over ten years. Strong effects like improved interaction and signs of a higher sense of wellbeing have been reported. Still it is unclear which features are needed and which robotic pets would are suitable for this therapy. In this explorative research we interviewed 36 professional caregivers, both experienced and inexperienced in relationship to RAT and compiled a list of requirements. Next, we used this list to compare commercially available robotic pets. We found that many pet robots are usable, although seal robot Paro meets the requirements best, being superior on sustainability, realistic movements and interactivity. Finally, a test with alternative pets showed that different subjects were attracted to different pets and a subsequential questionnaire revealed that some caregivers were not only willing to try alternatives for Paro, but also suggesting that alternative pets could in some cases be more suitable.

Comparing two LEGO Robotics-based interventions for social skills training with children with ASD

This paper presents an analysis of two comparable studies with LEGO Robotics-based activities in a social skills training program for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). One study has been carried out with a group of 16 children in the Unit of Pediatrics Psychology and Psychiatry in HSJD in Barcelona, Spain and the other with a group of 17 children at the Center for Education and Engineering Outreach (Tufts U.) in Boston, USA. The aim of this comparison is discuss lessons learnt and develop empirical based guidelines for intervention design.

A brief analysis of the main SPICE models of the memristor

In the last few years, the memristor has sparked the interest of numerous researchers. The lack of a commercially available off-the-shelf device has encouraged the publication of numerous SPICE models, which are not always easy to use. We believe that unclear schematics and obscure, and sometimes flawed, codes have prevented the widespread application of yet valid models. In this paper, we devote our efforts to the clear and systematic presentation of a few remarkable SPICE models, and provide a complete library containing all working codes and essential schematics.

High performance DT-CNN camera device design on ACTEL IGLOO low power FPGA

In this paper we present a complete study on the balance between high performance image processing and low power consumption without using expensive components. Our proposal consists in implementing a Discrete Time Cellular Neural Network (DT-CNN) on a low power Actel IGLOO nano Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). This is a definitive step further from previous work to obtain an intelligent camera device for robots. Applications in Robot Guidance have rapidly increased in the last years as robots break in different fields of everyday live, which most of this robotic devices need sensors for navigation. Our proposed low cost solution avoids highly complex architectures, expensive smart sensors and low performance navigation systems.

A drop-out rate in a long-term cognitive rehabilitation program through robotics aimed at children with TBI

This paper describes in detail the robot platform used in a rehabilitation program for children with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) under a project to compare a rehabilitation program through robotics (1) with a conventional rehabilitation program directed to parents (2) and a control group where no specific intervention is done (3). As LEGO ® has been demonstrated as a useful robotic tool able to enhance children motivation, we have used it attached to an iPod which includes several activities defined by neuropsychologists and customized for each patient. In this paper we present the hardware and the software of this robotic platform and also the description of the activities that have already been proposed to patients. We present results about the use of the robot showing that the drop-out rate is lower in the intervention group with robots than in the program directed to parents.

New Friends: Social Robots in Therapy and Education

This special issue reflects thismultidisciplinary field of social robots in therapy and education with a broad collection of contributions, concerning technical, therapeutic, educational and ethical issues. The application of social robots in therapy and education is an emerging field. This development is fueled by the fact that these ‘new friends’ become more sophisticated, available and affordable. In recent years there has been an enormous increase of projects in which social robots are used successfully for groups with special needs, such as people with dementia, hospitalized children and children with autism. These projects demand expertise from a wide range of disciplines, like psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, AI, robotics and education to meet the technical opportunities with the development of therapeutic and educational practice. The first five papers are addressing usage and relevant methodological issues concerning the use in therapy or edu-

Embedded low-power low-cost Camera Sensor based on FPGA and its applications in mobile robots

In this paper, we present the functionality of a low-cost camera sensor based on FPGAs. It is intended to be a solution for affordable robotic platforms requiring a smart vision sensor. This implies using simple image processing algorithms that are, nevertheless, flexible enough to ensure the robot navigation. The image processing elements and the connectivity both to the camera and the robot are embedded in an Actel Igloo FPGA, which fits the low power consumption, reprogrammability and cost requirements. We also present two applications. The first one, related to path planning, shows how a robot with such a device is able to identify different scenarios in the process of learning how to escape from a maze using reinforcement learning. The second application is a set of interactive activities using a companion robot and requiring robot vision devised to improve the recovery of children with brain trauma. In this particular case, both the cost and power consumption requirements for the camera sensor are demanding, since the robot has to be distributed to a large number of children and low consumption is essential to keep the robot working time within the therapeutic needs.

How to teach memristors in EE undergraduate courses

Since a couple of years, the memristor has been in the media spotlight and it is expected to have a major impact on the future technology. Many scientists think that it should be taught in EE undergraduate courses, but there is no general agreement on how to do so. This paper presents several approaches to memristor and a thorough discussion about them, and it is the result of numerous discussions with experts in this area.

Engagement based on a customization of an iPod-LEGO robot for a long-term interaction for an educational purpose

The aims of the study presented in this paper are to find evidence that the customization of a robot increases the engagement interacting with it, and the adaptation of a non-social robotic platform like LEGO Robotics is possible. The study has been done with 7 years old children from primary school level that have been doing daily homework activities conducted by the robot during one month. Results showed us a higher interaction and adaptability to a social robot with the customization.