Synergy of Intelligent Algorithms for Efficient Child-Robot Interaction in Special Education: A Feasibility Study

In this paper the problem of algorithms’ interoperability in the context of an intelligent child-robot interaction for special education is studied. Given a technically demanding intervention scenario designed by experts, the set of algorithms that needed to implement the scenario are defined explicitly. Following a test case implementation involving a NAO robot, a feasibility analysis of the algorithms’ synergy, with respect to the adopted architecture consisting of the robot, its sensory modules and the timing performance of the incorporated algorithms is presented. The developed algorithms have been tested both in laboratory conditions as well as in a pilot study involving three children. The experiments reveal the hardware and software requirements for the implementation of such an intervention scenario with high intelligent child-robot interaction capabilities and highlight the need for an alternative system architecture.