Humanoid Social Robots in the Rehabilitation of Children with Cerebral Palsy

To increase the interest of a child in motor training we have tried to use a humanoid social robot that acts like a coach to encourage the patient. The humanoid robot "KineTron" was assembled from commercially available Bioloid Premium robotic kit. Nine movement scenarios of robot behaviour combined with voice and music were developed. During the training session, a therapist activates one of the scenarios by pressing a button on the remote. Evaluation of the Rehabilitation Robot was carried out on a group of six children with Cerebral Palsy, aged between 4-9 years. Rehabilitation Robot was used during 5-7 training sessions. All children and parents liked the sessions with the Rehabilitation Robot. This pilot study suggests that there are potential benefits in using humanoid robots in motor training of patients with cerebral palsy. It appears to be motivating for the child and encourages active participation in rehabilitation activities.