Disability and Mobility Do-it-Yourself Co-Op

Due to lack of mobility, children are limited in their interaction with others. This lack of interaction with peers leads to emotional problems in children with special needs, behavior disorders, and social maladjustment. These social problems continue even when these children become adults. Hence, it is important to promote social skills at a very early age. In this study, we suggest a new training paradigm for young infants and toddlers seated on mobile robots, using force feedback joystick, to bring them closer to their peers so that it can facilitate interaction. Four healthy children participated in a game as they chase a caregiver. A haptic force feedback strategy teaches how to follow the caregiver. The force feedback guidance strategy is tested as a training tool to bring the children in close proximity to their peers.