Exploring engagement with robots among persons with neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract

Our research explores social robots as learning tools for persons with Neurodevelopmental Disorder (NDD). The paper reports an empirical study that investigates engagement as a prerequisite for any learning process of NDD subjects. The study involved 5 persons in this target group and three robots (two research products developed at our lab, and a commercial one), which were used in sequence during individual therapeutic sessions at a care center. The results enable us to compare the engagement effects of different social robots and improves our understanding of the behavior of persons with NDD during robotic experiences.