Benefits of this Technology

The inclusion into social life and normalisation of those people with any type of disability or functional difficulty demands the invention of “substitute systems” that allows them to continue their development. Today the information technologies can contribute with new and more sophisticated “substitute systems” for some types of disabilities, as is the case with the programs that translate into audio the computer texts, for the blind.

Risoluta expects to satisfy, through the new information technologies, the most basic and less attended needs of people with any pathology, disability or functional difficulty so they can take advantage of the large amount of resources and possibilities that the information technologies and robotics can provide.

Until now there have been very little resources available for people with pathologies such as cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, etc. Children suffering any pathology that has deteriorated their cognitive ability, their ability to manipulate objects, or movement are deprived of the possibilities of development given by the exchange and manipulation of objects and, mainly, playing games. This would not happen if a specific “substitute system” or “complementary system” was created to satisfy their needs. Today’s technological development makes possible the creation of these systems.

Let’s think for a moment in different systems that can be configured, adapted to the environment, that can act autonomously, semi-autonomously or tele-operated, that learn, that plan its actions and that can react to different stimuli. This type of systems could open possibilities for development to these children in ways that are not yet explored.

The impossibility of introducing “objects of exchange” in the relationship between adults and a child with any of the above-mentioned pathologies can be an added difficulty for the relationship between them. This difficulty could explain, in some cases, why these children are not able to create a sign language. The possibility of “manipulating” at a distance a “robot-toy” will be their shared centre of attention and will necessarily build links of communications that the children will consider their own.

The impossibility to participate in group activities with any type of exchange of position and/or objects – for example, throw and catch a ball- prevents these children from the opportunity to build some of the requirements needed for the development of the symbolic function – mainly the so-called “theory of the mind”- and so preventing them from acquiring the meaning of conventional language. The possibility of participating in group activities through the interaction with toy-robots would open doors for them to develop relationships of exchange and, with them, have easy access to the use of the symbolic function and language.

The possibility to participate in joint activities through toy-robots would also help them in the development of a wide range of attitudes and abilities needed for their inclusion in the social world: discovering the sense of cooperation and development of attitudes of collaboration, acceptance and respect towards the laws and conventions needed for coexistence…

Finally, the impossibility of motor-skill manipulation and of autonomous movement presents also the added difficulty of preventing the development of first basic knowledge, especially those of space and time of the physical properties of the objects. The toy-robots will allow the movement and exploration of children with severe cerebral palsy, helping them to establish a solid foundation for their subsequent cognitive development.