About Vijayanta Jain
Interview by Saba Nafees
Major Computer Science
College Engineering
Accomplishments Dr. Sarah Kulkofsky Scholarship for Social Sciences, Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Travel Grant, President's Excellence in Diversity and Equity Award
Research Interests Computer Vision, Human-Robot Interaction
About the Project
Title Using Socially Assistive Robots in Autism Therapy
Presentation Watch the research video
Mentor Dr. Wesley Dotson
Autism Education, Texas Tech University
Comments
Very interesting topic! Aside from the reciprocal conversation aspect, how do current service animal therapy compare to that of assisted robot therapy?
I am sorry but I am not very well versed with literature in animal therapy. Comparing the two methods could be an interesting research as well!
Very interesting topic! Do you think the willingness of kids to open up the robots stems from the number of people that they see on television and in movies? Perhaps the connection that they have made between technology and humans in that manner has some bearing on their willingness talk with the robots?
I cannot say for sure if that is or isn't the case. The research usually points to the simplicity of social cues in robots as the primary factor of children with autism to open-up better to robots.
What factors do you think play a role in the ability of children with autism to "connect" more easily with robots? Have you looked at the importance of the physical nature of the robot or if they are able to connect as well with a virtual robot? Very interesting work!
That is a great question @scientist123. While there is no clinical evidence - literature strongly suggests that it is the limited social complexity of the robots that help children interact with the robot better. There is a lot of ongoing research to understand what form factors will lead to the most efficacious of the robot. There is also some literature in inspecting virtual reality as a tool for teaching social and life skills but all are at a nascent stage. Thank you for your feedback!
I think this is a really important study especially considering children's increased exposure to technology in this era. I see this benefitting a lot of kids and their families in the future!
That is what we hope to do. Thank you!