Robots in Rehab: Towards socially assistive robots for paediatric rehabilitation

There is increasing interest in the use of socially assistive robots to enhance therapeutic outcomes in paediatric health care. In this paper we report on experiential use of the humanoid 'NAO' robot (Aldebaran Robotics) in a paediatric rehabilitation setting. This forms part of a proposed study assessing the clinical benefits of introducing the NAO as a therapeutic intervention in the rehabilitation program of children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study is in partnership with the rehabilitation clinic of Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital. Drawing on five months of regular weekly engagement with the rehabilitation clinic, we propose roles and supporting capabilities for the NAO that aim to enhance rehabilitation outcomes for patients and support the typical workflow of therapists. We provide an overview of development work conducted to support these roles, and discuss future work and technical challenges to be addressed in preparation for the study.