Socially assistive robots

UnrestrictedAs technology evolves and advances in the realm of healthcare, humans may soon be interacting actively with robots for rehabilitation purposes. Called socially assistive robots, three target groups have participated in experiments and pre-clinical trials -- children with autism spectrum disorder, patients in post-stroke rehabilitation, and the elderly, in the prevention of mental and physical decline. Maja Matarić, professor of computer science and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, her students in the robotics laboratory, and their collaborators around the world have taken on the creation and design of robots to promote social interaction and friendly physical activity among such groups, while addressing the misconception that robots are harmful entities. They also consider major ethical issues surrounding the incorporation of robots into mainstream society, including medical privacy laws, insurance companies in their recognition of robots as a form of treatment, and affordability