New Robot with Skin to Improve Human Communication From: ACM TechNews - 05/04/2009 By: Helene Murphy Computer scientists at the University of Hertfordshire are covering a child-sized humanoid robot with artificial skin in an effort to help children with autism improve the way they interact with the robot, Kaspar, and other people. The robotic skin will be embedded with tactile sensors that will enable the sensor technology to provide feedback from the body of the robot. Kaspar will be able to respond to the different ways that children touch it in order to help them play in a more socially appropriate manner. "Children with autism have problems with touch, often with either touching or being touched," says professor Kerstin Dautenhahn. "The idea is to put skin on the robot as touch is a very important part of social development and communication and the tactile sensors will allow the robot to detect different types of touch and it can then encourage or discourage different approaches." The work at Hertfordshire is part of a European consortium's three-year Roboskin project. Read the entire article at: http://www.herts.ac.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/New-robot-with-skin.cfm Links: Kaspar http://kaspar.feis.herts.ac.uk/ Kerstin Dautenhahn http://homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~comqkd/ http://lifeboat.com/ex/bios.kerstin.dautenhahn Adaptive Systems Research Group http://adapsys.feis.herts.ac.uk/ KASPAR Robot with RoboSkin Teaches Autistic Kids Interaction http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2271 --- Fleshy Robot Helps Autistic Children From: NASA TechBriefs Insider Special Edition - 05/27/2009 Researchers at the University Of Hertfordshire School Of Computer Science in the United Kingdom are taking part in a European consortium to develop a robot with skin and embedded tactile sensors, in an effort to help children with autism. The researchers will work on Kaspar, a child-sized humanoid robot developed by the university's Adaptive Systems research group. Kaspar will be covered with robotic skin and the scientists will develop new sensor technologies which can provide tactile feedback from areas of the robot's body. The goal is to make the robot able to respond to different styles of how the children play with it, in order to help the children develop socially appropriate playful interaction with the robot and other people. "Children with autism have problems with touch, often with either touching or being touched," said Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn. "The idea is to put skin on the robot, as touch is a very important part of social development and communication. The tactile sensors will allow the robot to detect different types of touch, and it can then encourage or discourage different approaches."