Soft Robot Design to Support Communication for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Our study investigates the advantages of using soft robots to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder advance their social skills focusing on speech development. The field of developing robots for therapeutic use is still relatively new. The studies thus far have had positive responses and progressive data with majority of the users. Further investigation of their application in varying clinic settings will be important in aiding those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a chronic disease however many patients have proven that varying practices and therapeutic activities can help advance their motor and communication skills no matter their level of disability. We designed a soft robot utilizing mechanical motion and sound appealing to our target users. The prototypes we created test varying interactive components encompassing visual responses, sound features and kinetic movement. Our varying iterations of prototypes explore the best visual feedback for engaging the user and enticing them to continue speaking. We believe our developed soft robot when interacting with the ASD children will help improve their speech and communication development and relax them in stressful environments

Buddhist Vegetarian Restaurants and the Changing Meanings of Meat in Urban China

This article charts the changing meanings of meat in contemporary urban China and explores the role played by Buddhist vegetarian restaurants in shaping these changes. In Kunming, meat has long been a sign of prosperity and status. Its accessibility marked the successes of the economic reforms. Yet Kunmingers were increasingly concerned about excessive meat consumption and about the safety and quality of the meat supply. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants provided spaces where people could share meat-free meals and discuss and develop their concerns about meat-eating. While similar to and influenced by secular, Western vegetarianisms, the central role of Buddhism was reflected in discourses on karmic retribution for taking life and in a non-confrontational approach that sought to accommodate these discourses with the importance of meat in Chinese social life. Finally, the vegetarian restaurants spoke to middle-class projects of self-cultivation, and by doing so potentially challenged associations between meat-eating and social status

Oral History Interview with Carol Fairbanks by Tiffany Gerber

This interview is part of an oral history project conducted in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Women's Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire