Therapeutic Robot to Teach Social Skills to Primary School Children with ASD

治疗机器人教授患有自闭症谱系障碍的小学生社交技能

• 批准号: 7172787
• 负责人: CORINNA E LATHAN
• 金额: $ 12.28万
• 依托单位: ANTHROTRONIX, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-09-25 至 2007-05-24
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7172787
• 关键词: artificial intelligence; autism; behavior modification; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; bioengineering /biomedical engineering; child psychology; clinical research; communication; computer simulation; educational resource design /development; face expression; field study; human subject; human therapy evaluation; interactive multimedia; interpersonal relations; middle childhood (6-11); questionnaires; robotics; social behavior; social integration; videotape /videodisc

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project Summary/Abstract: This project is part of a long-term effort to reduce the burdens and disability associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The majority of adults and adolescents who have an ASD diagnosis do not have mental retardation, and are notable for their language abilities, which in many cases appear intact. Nevertheless, these individuals fail to achieve vocational success consonant with their intellectual level, and may be unable to form friendships and relationships outside their family. The specific aim of the project is to develop a training simulation to improve these individuals' ability to participate in social conversation. Equipped with basic conversational skills, individuals with ASD may gain more opportunities to interact and improve the quality of their relationships. The applicant is using technology it originally developed to create training simulations for specialized social interactions (e.g., for an interviewer to detect suicide risk in a soldier). The training simulation is based on a complex model of the simulated character's shifting emotional state in response to the history of the conversation, the user's most recent response, and an element of chance. The simulation includes a database of hundreds of video clips performed by a professional actor, and a large set of responses available for the user to speak or select by mouse click. The system offers help features, with straightforward explanations of the simulated character's reactions, and guidance with response choice; an on-screen coach who provides overt signals in response to the appropriateness of the user's response choice; playback options, so that the user can review parts or all of an interaction; and game features: points for success and cheering for improved scores and ultimately achieving the game's objective, agreement of the simulated character to another meeting with the user. The simulation content will be developed by the applicant's skilled script-writers with input from an autism researcher from Catholic University, then reviewed prior to video by three research and clinical specialists in ASD and a gentleman who himself has ASD, prior to videotaping. Usability field-testing will be conducted with 10 members of the target population. Data representing their use of the simulation and its features will be automatically logged, and they will respond to a debriefing questionnaire. Any modifications indicated will be incorporated into the more extensive simulation to be proposed for Phase II funding. Project Narrative: This project will adapt a therapeutic toy robot, CosmoBot, in order to engage children with severe social delays associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in activities to promote development of social skills. The toy robot will be equipped with sets of game programs from which therapists can choose. Therapists in 2 locations will test the therapeutic toy and its social games with 10 primary-school-aged children who have these impairments, in order to evaluate how easy the system is to use, how much it appeals to the children, and whether it has positive effects on children's social skills.

描述（由申请人提供）： 项目摘要/摘要：该项目是减轻与自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 相关的负担和残疾的长期努力的一部分。大多数患有自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 诊断的成年人和青少年并没有智力障碍，并且以语言能力着称，在许多情况下，语言能力似乎完好无损。然而，这些人未能取得与其智力水平相称的职业成功，并且可能无法在家庭之外建立友谊和关系。该项目的具体目标是开发一种培训模拟，以提高这些人参与社交对话的能力。具备基本的对话技能后，患有自闭症谱系障碍的人可能会获得更多的互动机会并提高人际关系的质量。申请人正在使用最初开发的技术来创建专门社交互动的训练模拟（例如，让采访者检测士兵的自杀风险）。训练模拟基于模拟角色的情绪状态变化的复杂模型，该模型响应于对话历史、用户最近的响应和机会因素。该模拟包括由专业演员表演的数百个视频剪辑的数据库，以及可供用户说出或通过鼠标单击选择的大量响应。该系统提供帮助功能，对模拟角色的反应进行简单的解释，并指导反应选择；屏幕上的教练根据用户响应选择的适当性提供明显的信号；播放选项，以便用户可以查看部分或全部交互；和游戏功能：成功的积分和为提高分数而欢呼并最终实现游戏的目标，模拟角色同意与用户进行另一次会面。模拟内容将由申请人熟练的编剧根据天主教大学自闭症研究人员的意见来开发，然后在录像之前由三名自闭症谱系障碍研究和临床专家以及一位患有自闭症谱系障碍的绅士在视频之前进行审查。可用性现场测试将针对目标人群的 10 名成员进行。代表他们使用模拟及其功能的数据将被自动记录，并且他们将回答汇报问卷。所指出的任何修改都将纳入为第二阶段资助提议的更广泛的模拟中。项目叙述：该项目将采用治疗性玩具机器人 CosmoBot，以便让患有自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 相关严重社交迟缓的儿童参与促进社交技能发展的活动。玩具机器人将配备多套游戏程序，治疗师可以从中选择。两个地点的治疗师将与 10 名患有这些障碍的小学生一起测试该治疗玩具及其社交游戏，以评估该系统的易用性、对儿童的吸引力以及它是否对儿童有帮助。对孩子的社交能力产生积极影响。