Design, Development and Assessment of a Multipurpose Robotic Assistant in the Field of Cognitive Therapy

Abstract

Advances in robotics have contributed to the support of different treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in children around the world. Several studies have developed and used robotic assistants to support these treatments, making robotic assistants a key tool for this purpose. Their results have been promising and have provided insight into what can be leveraged from them for future research. Therefore, this article presents a robotic assistant whose design and functionality can be adapted to support cognitive therapy processes. To test the adaptability of its design, an experiment is performed where some electronic elements are changed and it is verified that the design has changed automatically. A second experiment will test the feasibility of using the same robotic assistant in various types of cognitive therapies by modifying its functionality. The results show that the design of this robotic assistant can be adapted and it is also possible to determine if the new design violates any physical constraints. In addition, the results of the exercise performed previous to a cognitive therapy show positive results and this robotic assistant has been recommended by most therapists to be part of cognitive therapies.

Keywords: robotics, ergonomic, neurodevelopmental disorders

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1002307