Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 14).By controlling a robotic arm, autistic children can learn the movements associated with social interactions. The goals of my invention are that autistic children would safely interact with the robotic arm and mimic the robotic arm to replicate movements associated with social interactions. The results from my Peter J. Eloranta Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship suggest that all autistic children successfully learned social movements by mimicking a robotic arm. A more effective robotic arm would better replicate human motion than currently available commercial products. Additionally, a protective sleeve that conceals wiring and joints would make this product safer for young children, the main client of the invention.by Devanie DuFour.S.B
