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an emotion with body gestures and sounds. The robot would then provide a few possible answers for the child to choose among. To further the experience, NAO can even ask the child the last time he or she experienced the emotion. Sandy O’Connor, evaluation team facilitator at Moody School in Haverhill, says the robots do something she’s never seen another tool do. “It is actually quite amazing,” she says. “The robots engage the children in activities, they make eye contact and show sustained attention.” In an interview with the BBC last November, Ian Lowe, head teacher at Topcliffe Primary School, said autistic children find the robots easier to engage with than their teachers. “Children with autism struggle with communicating with adults and with other children, but for some reason, they engage with these robots,” Lowe explained. “Children who first come to school unable to make eye contact with humans start to communicate through the robots.” As a result, NAO acts as a bridge between the human and technological worlds, linking autistic children by encouraging social interaction and learning, as well as increasing confidence and self-esteem. Each robot records data from its interactions with children. Educators can access the information from a web portal. The data help teachers track progress and develop a personalized program for each child. The interface also facilitates communication between educational professionals and parents. This allows each caregiver to better understand the child.
The robots are capable of facial and voice recognition. They can also make expressive gestures when they talk and can even appear to breathe. Children can use apps to help develop communication, empathy and academics like the names of animals and colors. But, unlike a laptop, a NAO robot will say “Ouch” if it falls or trips. When it runs into something, NAO will say, “I’m sorry.” It can even chuckle or do a fist bump. “The twins – that’s what we call our two robots – seem to have their own separate personalities,” observes O’Connor, the Moody School facilitator. “Sometimes one of them will even say, ‘I feel stressed today.’”
“Children who rarely talk to other people will talk to the robot,” O’Connor says. “He’s predictable, he lacks facial expressions and he’s nonjudgmental, so the children don’t feel overwhelmed by him.” Aldebaran has been working with staff and parents at the schools in Birmingham and Haverhill, not only to provide support, but also to get feedback from them so the company can further tweak and improve NAO’s functionality. “The true experts are the teachers and parents – they know best what is best for the children,” Joubert explains. “We
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Doing ‘The Robot’
NAOs can be programmed with dance and tai-chi moves. Their 25 movable joints give each robot flexibility, and Aldebaran estimates each one can withstand more than 1,000 falls, just in case a child dance partner gets a little too enthusiastic. All a child has to say is “Robot Dance” or “Chi Da