Abstract

Today, it is estimated that 1 in every 110 children is diagnosed with autism and this rate is increasing 10-17% annually. They are often attracted to technology because of its predictability and lower amount of external stimuli. Papers recently published in peer reviewed journals show a 30% increase in the number of social interactions as well as better verbal communication in some autistic children when a robot is in the same room. The improvement is not only noticeable in interactions with the robot, but in subsequent interactions with their parents and therapists. Confirmed and well developed, a new robotic treatment approach could revolutionize the way we approach autism care and education in specialized school, health institutes, and then at home. Nao, the flagship robot of Aldebaran Robotics, is a fully interactive, versatile, fun and permanently evolving humanoid robot able to host educative, entertaining, and daily life assistance applications. Nao is already used by several pioneering researchers all across the world to further understand the underlying social mechanisms impaired in autism. Others evaluate the impact of Nao in personalized care sessions where autistic children get benefit from a mix of technology-enhanced learning and behavioral approaches. If you want to learn more about Nao, please come to meet him in person and give us comments and insights.