Toddlers show increased physical activity when they have a robot playmate moving around the room

Parents looking for help encouraging their toddlers to be physically active will soon need to look no further than an inexpensive robotic companion for their children, a new study from Oregon State University suggests.

The findings are important because movement plays a key role in children’s overall health, both in youth and later in adulthood, the authors note. The results were published in the Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine.

Researchers observed individual sessions for eight children aged 2 to 3 years old once a week for two months in a playroom that included various toys as well as a toddler-sized GoBot: a personalized robot to wheels and foam padded designed through a collaboration between OSU colleges. of Engineering and Health.

The weekly sessions with each of the five boys and three girls were divided into three segments.

During one, the GoBot was in the room but not active, although the child was free to push and pull the robot if he wanted.

In another case, the GoBot’s movements (essentially distancing maneuvers) were directed by an operator using a PlayStation DualShock4 controller, and in the third type of segment, the movement was autonomous. In both cases, the GoBot rewarded the child who approached it by emitting sounds, lights or bubbles.

The results showed that children’s activity levels, measured by multiple sensors and cameras, were higher in the presence of an active robot.

“It was interesting for us to find that the simple stand-alone routine worked as well as the directly teleoperated control when it came to engaging children,” said Naomi Fitter, of the College of Engineering, who led the study . “This means that a relatively inexpensive robot playmate, offering more intelligence and independence compared to current phone-operated robotic toys, could be feasible in the near future.”

For young children, the authors say, physical activity contributes to cognitive, social, and motor development and also sets the stage for better psychosocial and cardiometabolic health later, serving as a foundation for the potential for lifelong healthy habits.

“High rates of sedentary behavior present a major challenge today in many phases of life, and better physical activity at any time can lead to better health outcomes,” Fitter said. .

The researchers also note that previous studies indicate that a significant number of children do not meet recommended physical activity guidelines, which contributes to high levels of childhood obesity and other negative health outcomes. health.

“Toys that motivate crawling and assist in walking are very common,” Fitter said, “but there is a shortage of toys designed to motivate young children to be active and explore their environment once they are ambulatory .”

Assistive robots like GoBot, she added, may be more effective than other tools for promoting physical activity because people tend to view robots as more “like their peers and more influential” than non-embodied technologies like phones or computers.

“An important point is that our aim is not to replace caregivers, but for parents there may be periods of development when it is difficult to know how best to engage with your little one,” Fitter said. “The work in our paper could lead to new robotic toys that families could play with together to fill these gaps.”

Rafael Morales Mayoral and Ameer Helmi of the College of Engineering and Samuel W. Logan of the College of Health collaborated with Fitter.