iPad Controlled Robots Help Kids With Autism
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The uses for the iPad continue to impress us even five months after its launch. We previously reported how the iPad has been used for some really cool stuff to help people with disabilities or learning issues and what a difference it has made in people’s lives. We thought we had seen it all, but now comes Popchilla the iPad controlled robot used to help children with Autism. iPad robots, how cool is that!
Interbots, maker of Popchilla, teamed up with the Autism Center of Pittsburgh to help provide therapy for kids with autism. ”The premise behind the program is that children with autism are sometimes more likely to communicate with a non-human entity,” said Cindy Waeltermann, Founder and Director of the Autism Centers of Pittsburgh. ”When you have a child with autism, you use whatever interests them to gain access into their world. The idea is to bridge the gap between their world and ours.”
In the first phase of the program, a trained therapist will use Popchilla and a custom designed iPad app to direct the robot’s movements and interactions with the kids. Eventually, they plan to allow the children to control the robot to identify emotions. “By using Popchilla as an intermediary, we hope to increase the understanding of the child’s internal feelings, thus reducing behavioral frustrations. If they are able to identify that they are ‘angry’ and what ‘angry’ means, it can significantly help them understand what they are feeling, reducing behavioral ramifications.”
Interbots is currently working on the new custom iPad app and plans to have it ready to start the program this fall. This is not the first time Interbots has combined robotics with an iPad app. Their Let’s Make Shapes app can be played standalone or combined with Popchilla to allow the robot to interact with the application.
This is definitely a cool new use of technology and we are looking forward to hearing how the program goes. ”Nobody is more excited than the parents of the children with autism who have the potential to gain great strides from this program,” said Cindy Waeltermann. “That’s what this is all about — thinking outside the box to reach these kids.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!
