Dialogue Design for a Robot-Based Face-Mirroring Game to Engage Autistic Children with Emotional Expressions

We present design strategies for Human Robot Interaction for school-aged autistic children with limited receptive language. Applying these strategies to the DE-ENIGMA project (large EU project addressing emotion recognition in autistic children) supported development of a new activity for in facial expression imitation whereby the robot imitates the child’s face to encourage the child to notice facial expressions in a play-based game. A usability case study with 15 typically-developing children aged 4–6 at an English-language school in the Netherlands was performed to observe the feasibility of the setup and make design revisions before exposing the robot to autistic children

Serious games assisted by playware as a way to improve socio-emotional skills in children with autism spectrum disorder

This paper presents a project developed with the aim of promoting emotional skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The project involves a serious game and a playware object, which is a physical component that allows the user to interactively play the serious game. The playware object has six buttons, each one showing an emoji with a specific facial expression and communicates via Bluetooth with the serious game app installed in an Android device. The facial expressions used are: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and neutral/normal. They were applied to the three game activities (imitation, recognition and storytelling). The chain of tests started with an online questionnaire to validate the avatars created to represent the previously mentioned facial expressions in the game, which was followed by a usability test of the application (serious game and playware object) with six typically developing children. Finally, the three game activities were tested with six children with ASD in three/four sessions. Due to the small test group and reduced number of sessions, the primary objective was to assess if the target group accepted the application. In fact, it had a high level of approval regarding both the serious game and the playware object. had a high level of approval regarding both the serious game and the playware object.COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 and FCT –Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2013. Vinicius Silva also thanks FCT for the PhD scholarship SFRH/BD/SFRH/BD/133314/2017. The authors thank the teachers and students of the Elementary School of Gualtar (EB1/JI Gualtar) in Braga for the participation in the testsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Key Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Early Childhood Education: A Review

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have been applied in various domains, including early childhood education (ECE). Integration of AI educational technology is a recent significant trend in ECE. Currently, there are more and more studies of AI in ECE. To date, there is a lack of survey articles that discuss the studies of AI in ECE. In this paper, we provide an up-to-date and in-depth overview of the key AI technologies in ECE that provides a historical perspective, summarizes the representative works, outlines open questions, discusses the trends and challenges through a detailed bibliometric analysis, and provides insightful recommendations for future research. We mainly discuss the studies that apply AI-based robots and AI technologies to ECE, including improving the social interaction of children with an autism spectrum disorder. This paper significantly contributes to provide an up-to-date and in-depth survey that is suitable as introductory material for beginners to AI in ECE, as well as supplementary material for advanced users.Comment: 39 pages, 9 figures, 4 table

Conversations on Empathy

In the aftermath of a global pandemic, amidst new and ongoing wars, genocide, inequality, and staggering ecological collapse, some in the public and political arena have argued that we are in desperate need of greater empathy — be this with our neighbours, refugees, war victims, the vulnerable or disappearing animal and plant species. This interdisciplinary volume asks the crucial questions: How does a better understanding of empathy contribute, if at all, to our understanding of others? How is it implicated in the ways we perceive, understand and constitute others as subjects? Conversations on Empathy examines how empathy might be enacted and experienced either as a way to highlight forms of otherness or, instead, to overcome what might otherwise appear to be irreducible differences. It explores the ways in which empathy enables us to understand, imagine and create sameness and otherness in our everyday intersubjective encounters focusing on a varied range of "radical others" – others who are perceived as being dramatically different from oneself. With a focus on the importance of empathy to understand difference, the book contends that the role of empathy is critical, now more than ever, for thinking about local and global challenges of interconnectedness, care and justice

Developing Social-Emotional Reciprocity in Elementary Age Children on the Autism Spectrum through an Art Therapy Intervention Plan

With increased sophistication in diagnostic tools, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are getting diagnosed at earlier ages, causing a greater demand for intervention (Steever, 2011). Social-emotional reciprocity is a defining feature of ASD which can prevent the child from making deep connections and responding empathetically to others (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Children on the Spectrum are naturally drawn to the creative arts because of their visual strengths and desire for sensory stimulation (Martin, 2009). However, current art therapy literature is lacking in specific step-by-step intervention plans to address the needs of this population. Using the steps laid out by Fraser, Richman, Galinsky and Day (2009), this paper examines current literature on ASD, child development, empathy, and art therapy in order to develop an art therapy intervention plan to increase social-emotional reciprocity in elementary aged children on the Spectrum

Conversations on Empathy

In the aftermath of a global pandemic, amidst new and ongoing wars, genocide, inequality, and staggering ecological collapse, some in the public and political arena have argued that we are in desperate need of greater empathy — be this with our neighbours, refugees, war victims, the vulnerable or disappearing animal and plant species. This interdisciplinary volume asks the crucial questions: How does a better understanding of empathy contribute, if at all, to our understanding of others? How is it implicated in the ways we perceive, understand and constitute others as subjects? Conversations on Empathy examines how empathy might be enacted and experienced either as a way to highlight forms of otherness or, instead, to overcome what might otherwise appear to be irreducible differences. It explores the ways in which empathy enables us to understand, imagine and create sameness and otherness in our everyday intersubjective encounters focusing on a varied range of "radical others" – others who are perceived as being dramatically different from oneself. With a focus on the importance of empathy to understand difference, the book contends that the role of empathy is critical, now more than ever, for thinking about local and global challenges of interconnectedness, care and justice

The near future of children's robotics

Robotics is a multidisciplinary and highly innovative field. Recently, multiple and often minimally connected sub - communities of child - robot interaction have started to emerge , variously focusing on the design issues , engineering, and applications of robotic platforms and toolkits . Despite increasing public interest in robots, including robots for children, child - robot interaction research remains highly fragmented and lacks regular cross - disciplin ary venue s for discussion and dissemination . This workshop will bring together researchers with diverse scientific backgrounds . It will serve as a venue in which to reflect on the current circumstances in which child - robot research is conducted, articulate emerging and “near future” challenges, and discuss actions and tools with which to meet those challenges and consolidate the field

On the Relationship between People, Objects, & Interactive Technologies: Transforming Digital & Physical experiences through the process of Realizing Empathy

La manera com les persones es relacionen amb el seu entorn, ja sigui físic o digital, és cada cop més complexa i fugaç, fent que la relació de l'usuari amb els seus objectes i eines digitals, de vegades, sigui extrema i de curta durada. Tanmateix, la propietat d'objectes i objectes tecnològics interactius no és buida de significat, són mostres de reflexió i representació per als altres i del seu paper a la societat. La clau per mantenir una relació i el significat amb aquests objectes rau en el disseny i la intenció de l'experiència interactiva creada. Inspirats en les disciplines de la psicologia, el procés de disseny, la interacció humà-ordinador i els models de negoci, aquesta tesi explora, analitza, crea i prova els fonaments teòrics sobre l'empatia i el concepte d'entaular una relació de llarga durada entre les persones i les tecnologies interactives.  Amb aquesta finalitat, aquesta tesi es divideix en 4 fases: (1) l’estudi en profunditat de les referències bibliogràfiques dins del sector HCI, amb especial atenció al rol del disseny i la psicologia amb la intenció de respondre preguntes com: “Com podem construir relacions de llarga durada entre persones i objectes intel·ligents?” (2) Recopilar i adoptar definicions, eines i terminologia de treballs relacionats que aportin a la construcció de la contribució principal d'aquesta tesi, (3) Crear i presentar un model d'interacció entre persones i tecnologia que aporti a una interacció de llarga durada, i (4) presentar un cas d’estudi on s’implementi el model proposat.  Després del treball bibliogràfic, al sector de l'HCI, s'ha identificat un buit, fruit de les principals preocupacions expressades: la manca de connexió entre la teoria i la pràctica del disseny, així com una mancança en l’àmbit de l'Empatia. El resultat fa que molts dels models d’interacció amb intenció empàtica i afectiva no se sustentin entre si. Això ens ha portat a la segona fase de la tesi on aprofitem les referències de múltiples disciplines per estudiar què és l'empatia, com s'implementa, com es percep i com evoluciona cap a l'objectiu d'una relació a llarg termini, com a punt focal cap a les principals contribucions de la tesi. .  Després de reunir i analitzar exhaustivament les referències al voltant de l'empatia, entrem a la tercera fase on presentem el model teòric d'interacció amb el potencial d'establir una interacció a llarg termini i l’anomenat Procés de realització de l'empatia (RE). Més que intentar definir què és l'empatia, aquesta proposta intenta oferir una perspectiva diferent de l'empatia i visualitza el seu abast com un procés influenciat per models de diàleg i col·laboració amb el propòsit de crear comprensió mútua i donar significat a aquest intercanvi.  Amb un model clar i una sòlida base teòrica, la fase final de la tesi cerca provar el model proposat amb l'objectiu d'observar si es poden detectar indicadors d'afecció afectiva i confiança entre una persona i el seu objecte tecnològic. En aquest cas, vam tenir l'oportunitat de treballar amb robots socials com el nostre “altre actor” per dissenyar les proves del model. Aquestes proves pretenien capturar els indicadors d'empatia entre un humà i un robot que abraça: l'aferrament afectiu, la confiança, la regulació de les expectatives i la reflexió sobre la perspectiva de l'altre dins un conjunt d'estratègies de col·laboració. Plantegem la hipòtesi que una estratègia de col·laboració activa condueix a un compromís més significatiu de generar empatia entre un humà i un robot en comparació amb una estratègia passiva. Els resultats són encoratjadors i clarament estableixen un camí per a futures investigacions sobre el disseny d'aquest model. La forma en que las personas se relacionan con su entorno, ya sea físico o digital, se vuelve cada vez más compleja y fugaz, haciendo que la relación del usuario con sus objetos y herramientas digitales, en ocasiones, sea extrema y de corta duración. Sin embargo, la propiedad de objetos y objetos tecnológicos interactivos no es vacía de significado, son muestras de reflexión y representación para los demás y de su papel en la sociedad. La clave para mantener una relación y significado con estos objetos radica en el diseño y la intención de la experiencia interactiva creada. Inspirados en las disciplinas de la psicología, el proceso de diseño, la interacción humano-ordenador y los modelos de negocio, esta tesis explora, analiza, crea y prueba los fundamentos teóricos sobre la empatía y el concepto de entablar una relación de larga duración entre las personas y las tecnologías interactivas.  Con este fin, esta tesis se divide en 4 fases: (1) estudio en profundidad de las referencias bibliográficas dentro del sector HCI, con especial atención al rol del diseño y la psicología con la intención de responder a preguntas como: “¿Cómo podemos construir relaciones de larga duración entre personas y objetos inteligentes?”(2) Recopilar y adoptar definiciones, herramientas y terminología de trabajos relacionados que aporten a la construcción de la contribución principal de esta tesis, (3) Crear y presentar un modelo de interacción entre personas y tecnología que aporte a una interacción de larga duración, y (4) presentar un caso de estudio donde se implemente el modelo propuesto.  Tras el trabajo bibliográfico en el sector del HCI se ha identificado un vacío, fruto de las principales preocupaciones expresadas: la falta de conexión entre la teoría y la práctica del diseño, así como una falta en el tema de la Empatía. El resultado hace que muchos de los modelos de interacción con intención empática y afectiva no se sustenten entre sí. Esto nos ha llevado a la segunda fase de la tesis en la que aprovechamos las referencias de múltiples disciplinas para estudiar qué es la empatía, cómo se implementa, cómo se percibe y cómo evoluciona hacia el objetivo de una relación a largo plazo, como punto focal hacia las principales contribuciones de la tesis. .  Después de una reunir y analizar exhaustivamente las referencias en torno a la empatía, entramos en la tercera fase donde presentamos el modelo teórico de interacción con el potencial de entablar una interacción a largo plazo y denominado Proceso de realización de la empatía (RE). Más que intentar definir qué es la empatía, esta propuesta trata de ofrecer una perspectiva diferente a la empatía y visualiza su alcance como un proceso influenciado por modelos de diálogo y colaboración con el propósito de crear comprensión mutua y dar significado a ese intercambio.  Con un modelo claro y una sólida base teórica, la fase final de la tesis busca probar el modelo propuesto con el objetivo de observar si el modelo puede detectar indicadores de Apego Afectivo y Confianza entre una persona y su objeto tecnológico. En el caso de este trabajo, tuvimos la oportunidad de trabajar con robots sociales como nuestro “otro actor” para diseñar las pruebas del modelo. Estas pruebas pretendían capturar los indicadores de de empatía entre un humano y un robot que abarca: el apego afectivo, la confianza, la regulación de las expectativas y la reflexión sobre la perspectiva del otro dentro de un conjunto de estrategias de colaboración. Planteamos la hipótesis de que una estrategia de colaboración activa conduce a un compromiso más significativo de generar empatía entre un humano y un robot en comparación con una estrategia pasiva. Los resultados son alentadores y claramente establecen un camino para futuras investigaciones sobre el diseño de este modelo. How people engage with their surroundings, whether physical or digital, becomes increasingly complex and rapid, making the user’s relationship with their objects and digital tools, at times, extreme and short-lived. Yet, there is still meaning in ownership of objects and interactive technological objects, they are tokens of reflection and representation to others and their role in society. The key to sustaining a relationship and sense of meaning with these objects lies in the design and intention of the interactive experience created. Inspired by disciplines of psychology, design, Human-computer interaction, and business modeling, this thesis explored, analyzed, created, and tested theoretical foundations on Empathy and the concept of initiating a long-term relationship between people and their interactive technologies.  To that end, the thesis book was managed in 4 main stages: (1) presenting a deeper dive into bibliographic references within HCI and the role of both design and psychology in the attempt to tackle questions like: “How can we build long-term relationships between people and their smart objects?” (2) Collect and adopt from related works that helped build the main contributions of the thesis book, (3) Create an interaction model between humans and their technology that lent itself for potential long-term engagement, and (4) a case study that implemented and instantiated the model designed.     After mapping the HCI bibliographical works in the first phase, a gap was revealed indicative of the main concerns expressed: a lack of connection between theory and design practice as well as a lack in the topic of Empathy. The result makes many of the models of interaction with empathetic and affective intention unsupported between each other. This has led us to the second phase of the thesis where we leveraged references across multiple disciplines to survey what empathy is, how it is implemented, perceived and evolved toward the goal of long-term relationship, as a focal point toward the main thesis contributions.   After an exhaustive gathering and analysis of the work around Empathy, we entered the third phase where we present the proposed theoretical model of interaction with the potential for long-term engagement named the Process of Realizing Empathy (RE). Rather than attempting to further define empathy, this proposal is about offering a different perspective to empathy that visualizes its scope as a process influenced by dialogue and collaborative models with the goal to reach meaning between the actors involved.  With a clear model in place and a strong theoretical foundation, the final phase of the thesis looked to test the proposed model with the goal of observing if the model can provoke its indicators of Affective Attachment and Trust between a person and their technological object. In the case of this thesis work, we had the opportunity to work with social robots as our “other actor” to design the tests for the model. This testbed meant to capture the indicators of early empathy realization between a human and a robot encompassing affective attachment, trust, expectation regulation, and reflecting on the other’s perspective within a set of collaborative strategies. We hypothesized that an active collaboration strategy is conducive to a more meaningful and purposeful engagement of realizing empathy between a human and a robot compared to a passive one. The results are encouraging and clearly establish a path for further research on this model’s design.