Social Empathetic Cognitive Robotics for Autism (SECRA): a preliminary study

Abstract

In the last two decades, Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR) has emerged as a promising approach in treating Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). SAR involves using social robots to provide assistance in social interaction settings. Although much research in this field is still preliminary, SAR has shown significant potential for achieving effective outcomes in ASD treatment. Despite these promising results, there are still unanswered questions about the effectiveness of SAR for ASD, especially regarding how social robots should be designed to optimize the complex interactions among therapists, children, and robots. The primary aim of the present project is to address these limitations through a large-scale, randomized controlled trial that can provide clear answers to the above questions. The project has two main objectives: (a) to develop robust psychosocial protocols for robot-assisted therapy tailored for children with ASD, and (b) to evaluate whether the QTrobot (LuxAI), along with eye-tracking technology, can improve cognitive and socio-emotional skills in these children in various environments. The project will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, psychosocial protocols will be developed and tested preliminarily to refine their effectiveness. Based on the results of Phase 1, a rigorous randomized controlled study will conduct in the second phase. Currently, the project is at first phase. We are conducting the preliminary study to develop the psychosocial protocol and to understand what factors can facilitate the interaction human-robot. In this case, children with ASD and the QTrobot. This project is funded by the European Union-Next Generation EU.

Keywords: Social robotics, Cognition, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Robot-assisted therapy, Human-robot interaction, Social skills

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005709