PFI:AIR - TT: An Accessible Robotic Platform for Children with Disabilities

这个PFI: AIR技术翻译项目的重点是翻译技术，以满足对无障碍技术的需求，这些技术可以支持各种残疾儿童的需求。该项目将扩大商业上可行的无障碍机器人平台的规模，帮助残疾儿童实现他们的发展里程碑。这个无障碍机器人平台有以下独特的特点：它结合了无障碍界面和平板应用程序，并结合了一个可互动的移动机器人，可以适应不同需求的儿童；它提供即时的语言和非语言行为互动，通过自主监测儿童的参与水平来吸引儿童；它提供综合治疗和/或教育经验，以满足儿童的不同需求，同时为他们的残疾提供解决方案。与目前市场上领先的平板控制机器人平台相比，这些功能提供了以下优势：1)该技术利用了机器人技术的普遍吸引力和平板设备的普及，从而获得了一种低成本、高质量的解决方案，适用于所有残疾/非残疾儿童；2)提高以家庭为基础的治疗/教育干预措施的有效性，从而提高残疾儿童的生活质量。从研究发现到商业应用，该项目解决了以下技术差距：1)通过重新设计当前的实验室原型电子和硬件包，以低成本在现实世界中提供可靠、连续的操作；2)通过将我们的平板电脑-机器人交互行为理论与可访问的平板电脑界面相结合，为残疾儿童提供适当的交互式机器人响应；3)通过重新设计我们的软件基础结构，让临床医生、教师、家长和孩子们更容易使用。无障碍机器人平台非常重要，因为目前市场上还没有为残疾儿童设计的无障碍机器人平台，特别是那些有运动障碍的儿童。此外，考虑到全球有超过9300万儿童患有残疾，机器人技术现在是美国的一项重大国家倡议，在这一领域产生商业和社会影响的潜力很大。到2016年，美国辅助技术市场的预测价值将从2011年的40亿美元上升到550亿美元，我们预计将这项技术转化为市场的潜在经济影响将在未来5年内为这一增长率做出积极贡献。这将直接促进美国在辅助技术领域的竞争力。

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.