"Social Machines"Posted on 10 Jun, 2010
Hi there, everyone! I was working on my robotics project this evening and while I was at it, I got an idea that I thought would help those with autism and particularly asperger syndrome communicate and socialize with others. I'm dubbing the concept "Social Machines." It's a robot, (or a computer program) that talks with people. It works a lot like a chat bot, you might say, but is specialized to help improve social skills.
So while I'm getting to work on this project, I'd like to see if any of you could help lead me in the right direction. For parents of children with autism, what sort of struggles do you notice they seem to struggle with. If you have autism yourself, is there anything you find difficult to understand socially, or any form of expression or communication you struggle with? Any therapists out there? I'd like to hear your input too.
The idea with a social machine, I'm thinking, is that maybe those with autism will pay more attention to robots or computers than people because robots move and many people with autism like actuation and many with autism or asperger syndrome are more comfortable in front of a computer than a person because they have the comfort of knowing that a computer won't judge you. But in turn, the social machine might help prepare those with autism communicate and understand more expressions with real human beings.
I'm thinking there will be two kinds of social machines: a robotic version and a computer version. A robotic social machine would have its advantages in a sense that it's a physical entity (it's there in front of you in the real world instead of on a flat screen. It's tangible--you can tough it). And...robots are interesting. A computer program would also have its advantages particularly if the person with autism is sensitive to servo motor movement (like a friend of mine). Instead of a robot, a character would appear in front of the computer screen and talk to the person with autism. It might be a human character, a robot character, maybe even a creature kind of character--though all three would have a personality.
The fun part of this would be that you could actually talk to the social machine using speech recognition software (like my robot uses). The SM would understand a plethora of different phrases, keep track of topics, and respond to these phrases in different ways (using a randomization function). My robot currently does all of this.
Ultimately, I'm thinking it would be ideal if the social machines plugged into a network and were kept up to date with a magnanimous array of topics and responses. That way, the social machines would always be primed and up to date. There might even be a website where suggestions and issues can be addressed to help improve the social machines for individuals with autism.
That's my idea. What you do think?
By the way, for a look at my robotics project, NINA, just visit my website at www.lorenjohnpresley.com
Tags:
autism,
asperger syndrome,
social,
robotics,
computers,
therapists,
therapy,
intervention
