Robotic Playmates: Analysing Interactive Competencies of Children with Autism Playing with a Mobile Robot

This chapter discusses two analysis techniques that are bei ng used in order to study how children with autism interact with an autonomous, mobile and ‘social’ robot in a social setting that also involves adults. A quanti t tive technique based on micro-behaviours is outlined. The second technique, Con versation Analysis, provides a qualitative and more detailed investigation of t he sequential order, local context and social situatedness of interaction and co mmunication competencies of children with autism. Preliminary results indic ate the facilitating role of the robot and its potential to be used in autism therapy. 1. The Aurora Project Computers, virtual environments and robots (e.g. [15], [9] ) are increasingly used as interactive learning environments in autism therap y. Since 1998 the Aurora project has studied the development of a mobile, auto nomous and ‘social robot’ as a therapeutic tool for children with autism, s ee e.g. [1] for more background information. Here, the context in which robot-h uman interactions occur is deliberately playful and ‘social’ (involving adul ts). In a series of trials with 8-12 year-old autistic children we established tha t generally children with autism enjoy interacting with the robotic toy, and show more engaging behaviour when playing with the robot as opposed to a non-int erac ive toy [16], [17]. Also, the role of the robot as a social mediator wa s investigated in trials with pairs of autistic children. Results showed a s pectrum of social and non-social play and communication that occurred in robo t-child and child-