Cosmobot
Encyclopedia
CosmoBot is a child-friendly, interactive remote controlled telerehabilitation
robot designed by AnthroTronix, Inc.http://www.anthrotronix.com. CosmoBot is part of an overall assistive technology
system that includes the CosmoBot robot, Mission Control input device, and accompanying software. With the accompanying software, CosmoBot can be used as part of a play therapy
program that promotes rehabilitation
and development
of disabled children. During therapy sessions, the CosmoBot system automatically collects data for therapist evaluation.
and the National Science Foundation
.
and learning disabled children, including those with autism
and cerebral palsy
. Enjoyable interaction with CosmoBot provides motivation for children to develop new skills more quickly than in traditional therapy. CosmoBot is designed to target many educational goals, ranging from communication to developmental goals.
, it needs to be easy to use and adaptable to different users. CosmoBot is designed for an inclusive classroom setting and must allow children to interact with their environment. It must be safe to use, hygienic, and durable. The CosmoBot system must include the capability to collect data that the therapist needs to monitor different objectives.
developed in accordance with the IDEA
. The most current version of the law is known as PL 108-446 or IDEA 2004. It is currently being marketed to therapists and educators, although AT KidSystems expects to produce a home version of the robot. A home version of the Mission Control input device and accompanying software, Cosmo's Play and Learn, is currently being marketed to parents of children ages 3-5 with and without disabilities.
. The therapist can also use a microphone to talk through CosmoBot and ask the child to perform an activity or issue a voice command.
is one of the components in Mission Control, allowing voice input to control the robot. The child can control CosmoBot’s movement with speech, using commands such as “forward” and “back”. The therapist can also use the microphone to speak through CosmoBot and engage the child in conversation, or the child can speak through the microphone while CosmoBot’s mouth moves.
Telerehabilitation
Telerehabilitation is the delivery of rehabilitation services over telecommunication networks and the internet. Most types of services fall into two categories: clinical assessment , and clinical therapy...
robot designed by AnthroTronix, Inc.http://www.anthrotronix.com. CosmoBot is part of an overall assistive technology
Assistive technology
Assistive technology or adaptive technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them...
system that includes the CosmoBot robot, Mission Control input device, and accompanying software. With the accompanying software, CosmoBot can be used as part of a play therapy
Play therapy
Play therapy is generally employed with children aged 3 through 11 and provides a way for them to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process...
program that promotes rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (neuropsychology)
Rehabilitation of sensory and cognitive function typically involves methods for retraining neural pathways or training new neural pathways to regain or improve neurocognitive functioning that has been diminished by disease or traumatic injury....
and development
Child development
Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
of disabled children. During therapy sessions, the CosmoBot system automatically collects data for therapist evaluation.
History
The concept of CosmoBot was created by Dr. Corinna Lathan, who cofounded AnthroTronix, Inc. with Jack Vice in 1999. The entire CosmoBot system is manufactured and marketed by AT KidSystems, Inchttp://atkidsystems.com. Development of CosmoBot was sponsored by the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
and the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
.
Why was it designed?
CosmoBot was designed as an assistive tool for therapists and educators working with developmentallyDevelopmental disability
Developmental disability is a term used in the United States and Canada to describe lifelong disabilities attributable to mental or physical impairments, manifested prior to age 18. It is not synonymous with "developmental delay" which is often a consequence of a temporary illness or trauma during...
and learning disabled children, including those with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
and cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
. Enjoyable interaction with CosmoBot provides motivation for children to develop new skills more quickly than in traditional therapy. CosmoBot is designed to target many educational goals, ranging from communication to developmental goals.
Design goals
The most important goal of CosmoBot is to provide long-term motivation for children to actively participate in therapy and to help children achieve goals set by therapists and educators. Since CosmoBot will be used by children with varying levels of mobility, motor skills, and languageLanguage development
Language development is a process starting early in human life, when a person begins to acquire language by learning it as it is spoken and by mimicry. Children's language development moves from simple to complex. Infants start without language. Yet by four months of age, babies can read lips and...
, it needs to be easy to use and adaptable to different users. CosmoBot is designed for an inclusive classroom setting and must allow children to interact with their environment. It must be safe to use, hygienic, and durable. The CosmoBot system must include the capability to collect data that the therapist needs to monitor different objectives.
Target Audience
CosmoBot is intended for use by developmentally disabled children ages 5-12 under the guidance of a therapist or educator. The CosmoBot system is expected to be used as part of an Individualized Education ProgramIndividualized Education Program
In the United States an Individualized Education Program, commonly referred to as an IEP, is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act...
developed in accordance with the IDEA
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a United States federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities...
. The most current version of the law is known as PL 108-446 or IDEA 2004. It is currently being marketed to therapists and educators, although AT KidSystems expects to produce a home version of the robot. A home version of the Mission Control input device and accompanying software, Cosmo's Play and Learn, is currently being marketed to parents of children ages 3-5 with and without disabilities.
The robot
CosmoBot is a 16-inch tall robot with nine degrees of freedom that is controlled by components of the CosmoBot system: a therapist can operate CosmoBot via computer-based software, and children can operate CosmoBot by using one of several input devices described in the next section.Movement
Hidden wheels allow the robot to move forward and backward on flat surfaces and to rotate left and right. Each arm has two degrees of freedom, allowing the shoulders to flex and rotate to imitate human shoulder joint movement; the robot can raise and lowers its arms, grab objects, and clap. The head moves in pitch (nodding yes) and yaw (shaking no), and the mouth opens and closes.Modes of operation
The therapist selects which of three modes of operation is appropriate for each therapy goal and creates a lesson tailored to each child.Live Play
CosmoBot can be programmed to immediately perform actions upon receipt of a command from the therapist or child through any of the input devices (below).Simon Says
The therapist can make CosmoBot perform an activity, such as lifting its arms, and ask the child to mimic the motions that CosmoBot makes; this activity is similar to the game Simon SaysSimon says
Simon says is a children's game for three or more players where one player takes the role of 'Simon' and issues instructions, to the other players, which should only be followed if prefaced with the phrase 'Simon says', for example 'Simon says jump in the air'...
. The therapist can also use a microphone to talk through CosmoBot and ask the child to perform an activity or issue a voice command.
Playback
The therapist or the child can make CosmoBot perform a series of activities while the system records the sequence. The therapist can then play back the sequence while the child performs the activities at the same time. The therapist or child can also tell and record a story or a song through CosmoBot and interact as it is repeated.Software
The software includes a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows the therapist to control the movement of the robot. The software also allows the therapist to set up and monitor the interaction between the child and CosmoBot, and to evaluate their interaction via automatic data collection. The software also stores individual data on the input actions of the children and resulting robotic movement.Mission Control
Mission Control is CosmoBot's child-friendly version of a keyboard. It contains four large, pressure-sensitive buttons, called aFFx Activators, and incorporates a microphone. It also includes two USB ports for connection of gestural sensors. The therapist uses the GUI to assign a function to each button, such as indicating that depression of the red button will move CosmoBot forward. Activity labels can be placed in front of each button to remind the child of which activity is associated with which button. Four additional buttons can be connected to the back of Mission Control, allowing the therapist to maintain control of the lesson.Voice input
A microphoneMicrophone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
is one of the components in Mission Control, allowing voice input to control the robot. The child can control CosmoBot’s movement with speech, using commands such as “forward” and “back”. The therapist can also use the microphone to speak through CosmoBot and engage the child in conversation, or the child can speak through the microphone while CosmoBot’s mouth moves.
Gestural sensors
The child can control CosmoBot’s movement using additional sensors connected to Mission Control. The array of custom sensors from left to right are an adapted OEM joystick, a wearable leg sensor, wearable arm sensor, wearable head sensor, wearable wrist extension glove, and a sensor to measure forearm pronation and supination, showns with arm restraint brace.See also
- Autism therapiesAutism therapiesAutism therapies attempt to lessen the deficits and abnormal behaviours associated with autism and other autism spectrum disorders , and to increase the quality of life and functional independence of autistic individuals, especially children. Treatment is typically tailored to the child's needs...
- Educational PsychologyEducational psychologyEducational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
- Physical TherapyPhysical therapyPhysical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
- TeleroboticsTeleroboticsTelerobotics is the area of robotics concerned with the control of robots from a distance, chiefly using wireless connections , "tethered" connections, or the Internet...
- Voice command deviceVoice command deviceA voice command device is a device controlled by means of the human voice. By removing the need to use buttons, dials and switches, consumers can easily operate appliances with their hands full or while doing other tasks....