An explorative study on robotics for supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during clinical procedures

This short report presents a small-scale explorative study about children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) interaction with robots during clinical interactions. This is part of an ongoing project, which aims at defining a robotic service for supporting children with developmental disabilities and increase the efficiency of routine procedures that may create distress, e.g.having blood taken or an orthopaedic plaster cast applied. Five children with confirmed diagnoses of ASD interacted with two social robots: the small humanoid NAO and the pet-like MiRo. The encounters mixed play activities with a simulated clinical procedure. We included parents/carers in the interaction to ensure the child was comfortable and at ease. The results of video analysis and parents' feedback confirm possible benefits of the physical presence of robots to reduce children’s anxiety and increase compliance with instructions. Parents/carers convincingly support the introduction of robots in hospital procedures to their help children

Robotic Technology: An Experience of Care for Hospitalized Children in a Situation of Illness

In recent years robotics has experienced a growing interest in different areas With the development of robotics and research experience new technological challenges have appeared aimed at bringing new technologies closer to the different scenarios of daily life In this sense in this work using the type of documentary research some initiatives will be described on the incorporation of Robotic Technology in educational care distraction rehabilitation and recovery of children in a situation of hospitalized illness or with some type of trauma These initiatives have been developed in countries such as the United States Spain Canada Japa

Social Robots in Hospitals: A Systematic Review

Hospital environments are facing new challenges this century. One of the most important is the quality of services to patients. Social robots are gaining prominence due to the advantages they offer; in particular, several of their main uses have proven beneficial during the pandemic. This study aims to shed light on the current status of the design of social robots and their interaction with patients. To this end, a systematic review was conducted using WoS and MEDLINE, and the results were exhaustive analyzed. The authors found that most of the initiatives and projects serve the el- derly and children, and specifically, that they helped these groups fight diseases such as dementia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cancer, and diabetes

A Cloud robotics architecture to foster individual child partnership in medical facilities

Robots and automation systems have become a valuable partner in several facets of human life: from learning and teaching, to daily working, including health monitoring and assistance. So far, these appealing robot-based applications are restricted to conduct repetitive, yet useful, tasks due to the reduced individual robots’ capabilities in terms of processing and computation. This concern prevents current robots from facing more complex applications related to understanding hu- man beings and perceiving their subtle feelings. Such hardware limitations have been already found in the computer science field. In this domain, they are currently being addressed using a new resource exploitation model coined as cloud computing, which is targeted at enabling massive storage and computation using smartly connected and inexpensive commodity hardware. The purpose of this paper is to propose a cloud-based robotics architecture to effectively develop complex tasks related to hospitalized children assistance. More specifically, this paper presents a multi-agent learning system that combines machine learning and cloud computing using low-cost robots to (1) collect and perceive children status, (2) build a human-readable set of rules related to the child-robot relationship, and (3) improve the children experience during their stay in the hos- pital. Conducted preliminary experiments proof the feasibility of this proposal and encourage practitioners to work towards this direction.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Caring in the in-between : a proposal to introduce responsible AI and robotics to healthcare

Altres ajuts: Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICIn the scenario of growing polarization of promises and dangers that surround artifcial intelligence (AI), how to introduce responsible AI and robotics in healthcare? In this paper, we develop an ethical-political approach to introduce democratic mechanisms to technological development, what we call "Caring in the In-Between". Focusing on the multiple possibilities for action that emerge in the realm of uncertainty, we propose an ethical and responsible framework focused on care actions in between fears and hopes. Using the theoretical perspective of Science and Technology Studies and empirical research, "Caring in the In-Between" is based on three movements: the frst is a change of focus from the world of promises and dangers to the world of uncertainties; the second is a conceptual shift from assuming a relationship with robotics based on a Human-Robot Interaction to another focused on the network in which the robot is embedded (the "Robot Embedded in a Network"); and the last is an ethical shift from a general normative framework to a discussion on the context of use. Based on these suggestions, "Caring in the In-Between" implies institutional challenges, as well as new practices in healthcare systems. It is articulated around three simultaneous processes, each of them related to practical actions in the "in-between" dimensions considered: monitoring relations and caring processes, through public engagement and institutional changes; including concerns and priorities of stakeholders, with the organization of participatory processes and alternative forms of representation; and making fears and hopes commensurable, through the choice of progressive and reversible actions

How a Diverse Research Ecosystem Has Generated New Rehabilitation Technologies: Review of NIDILRR’s Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers

Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challenging needs remain. Within the US, a major effort aimed at the creation and evaluation of rehabilitation technology has been the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. As envisioned at their conception by a panel of the National Academy of Science in 1970, these centers were intended to take a “total approach to rehabilitation”, combining medicine, engineering, and related science, to improve the quality of life of individuals with a disability. Here, we review the scope, achievements, and ongoing projects of an unbiased sample of 19 currently active or recently terminated RERCs. Specifically, for each center, we briefly explain the needs it targets, summarize key historical advances, identify emerging innovations, and consider future directions. Our assessment from this review is that the RERC program indeed involves a multidisciplinary approach, with 36 professional fields involved, although 70% of research and development staff are in engineering fields, 23% in clinical fields, and only 7% in basic science fields; significantly, 11% of the professional staff have a disability related to their research. We observe that the RERC program has substantially diversified the scope of its work since the 1970’s, addressing more types of disabilities using more technologies, and, in particular, often now focusing on information technologies. RERC work also now often views users as integrated into an interdependent society through technologies that both people with and without disabilities co-use (such as the internet, wireless communication, and architecture). In addition, RERC research has evolved to view users as able at improving outcomes through learning, exercise, and plasticity (rather than being static), which can be optimally timed. We provide examples of rehabilitation technology innovation produced by the RERCs that illustrate this increasingly diversifying scope and evolving perspective. We conclude by discussing growth opportunities and possible future directions of the RERC program

Washington University Record, October 17, 2003

https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/record/1980/thumbnail.jp

Fusion, 2020

https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/smhs_fusion/1012/thumbnail.jp

Trust in and ethical design of carebots: The case for ethics of care

National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under Emerging Areas Research Project