Shybo. An open-source low-anthropomorphic robot for children

Abstract

This article presents Shybo: a novel low-anthropomorphic robot for children. The robot, resulted from the combination of open-source hardware and software, is able to perceive sounds and to react through two non-verbal behaviors: hat's movement and lighting. By taking advantage of an open- source machine-learning software, the robot can be easily trained by children. This robot can be employed in research to support human-robot interaction studies with children, for investigating perceptual aspects of robot's features or for investigating children' cognitive abilities. It can also be used for applications in educational context to support playful learning experiences.