Autism is a disorder that appears in very young children, affecting their ability to interact socially, communicate effectively and enjoy imaginative play. A 2008 Temple University study showed sensory Integration therapy, in which the therapist responds to sounds, movements or other behavioral cues from the child, to be effective for teaching children with autism. Using fuzzy logic, a robot called KOALA combines artificial intelligence with sensory integration to help therapists that are teaching special needs children.
Sensory Integration Therapy and Autism
Sensory integration therapy is used to help children with autism get used to situations that they are sensitive to, in a fashion that is not distressing to the child. This type of therapy assumes that the distress felt by autistic children is the result of over-stimulation, or under-stimulation.
By providing an environment filled with low-interaction and high-interaction objects, therapists can gain insight into the needs of the autistic child. The use of an artificial intelligence program to both measure input and respond to behavioral cues allows a therapist to improve the chances of reaching therapy goals.
Fuzzy Logic Knowledge Base
A fuzzy logic knowledge base is populated with expert information. In the case of the KOALA autism therapy assistant robot, the therapist has the power to directly populate the knowledge base. Rather than the complex computer languages necessary for most programming tasks, the use of fuzzy logic allows the therapist to make rules for the robot that make intuitive sense.
The rules in a fuzzy logic knowledge base are based on a combination of circumstances. For example, if a particular child gives a behavioral cue that he is overstimulated, the cue can be given to the robot as an input. The robot can then combine the cue with the situation, and provide an appropriate response. As more cues are stored by the robot, it will be increasingly able to respond adequately to the child's needs. For more information, read A Simple Explanation of Fuzzy Logic.
KOALA Robot for Autistic Children
The KOALA robot is a small round ball that interacts with autistic children via lights and sounds. The robot is used as an assistant to the therapist, providing appropriate responses as needed as well as storing information about the child's actions and activities. By using this fuzzy logic-powered robot, parents and therapists may improve the success of sensory integration activities.
References:
Arent, K., Wnuk, M.; Remarks on Behaviors Programming of the Interactive Therapeutic Robot KOALA Based on Fuzzy Logic Techniques. The Institute of Computer Engineering, Control and Robotics, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland; Published: Springer, Berlin; (2007).
Temple University (2008, April 27). Autistic Mannerisms Reduced By Sensory Treatment. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
U.S. National Library of Medicine (2008, May 12). Autism. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
Victoria Nicks - Victoria Nicks has a Master's Degree in IT, and extensive hands-on experience with various types of hardware and software.
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