This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating technology to fill the necessity for accessible technologies that can support the needs of children with diverse disabilities. The project will result in a scale-up of a commercially viable accessible robotic platform that supports children with disabilities in achieving their developmental milestones. This accessible robotic platform has the following unique features: it combines accessible interfaces and tablet Apps with an interactive mobile robot that is adaptable to children with diverse needs; it provides just-in-time verbal and non-verbal behavioral interaction for engaging a child through the autonomous monitoring of the child's engagement level; it provides an integrated therapeutic and/or educational experience that addresses the diverse needs of children, while providing a solution for variations found in their disabilities. These features provide the following advantages, as compared to the leading competing tablet-controlled robotics platforms available in the marketplace today: 1) the technology capitalizes on the general appeal of robotics and the pervasiveness of tablet devices to derive a low-cost, quality solution that is inclusive of all children with/without disabilities; and 2) improves the effectiveness of home-based therapeutic/educational interventions that can enhance the quality of life of children with disabilities. This project addresses the following technology gap(s) as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application - 1) provides reliable, continuous operations in the real-world at low-cost by redesigning the current lab-prototype electronics and hardware package, 2) provides appropriate interactive robot responses for engaging children with disabilities by coupling our tablet-robot interactive behavior theory with accessible tablet interfaces, and 3) allows ease-of-use by clinicians, teachers, parents, and children through the redesign of our software infrastructure.
The accessible robotic platform is important because there are currently no accessible robotics platforms available in the marketplace designed for children with disabilities, especially those with motor disabilities. In addition, given that there are over 93 million children worldwide living with a disability and that robotics is now a major U.S. national initiative, there is a large potential of making both a commercial, as well as a social, impact in this space. The US assistive technologies market has a forecast value of $55 billion by 2016, which is up from $4B in 2011, and we expect the potential economic impact of translating this technology into the marketplace will positivity contribute to this growth rate within the next 5 years. This will directly contribute to the U.S. competitiveness in the assistive technologies domain.
