ABSTRACT
Socially assistive robots (SARs) are at the forefront of new technologies designed to generate therapeutic benefit for children with complex disabilities because, like toys, they can be designed to be socially engaging and fun for children. This chapter describes SARs and their clinical use with children who have disabilities. An effective SAR must interact with its environment, exhibit social behavior, and focus its attention and communication on the user to help him or her achieve desired goals. The chapter explains applications and limitations of machine-based learning and how it applies to SAR design and development. It also describes the methodology used to define clinical intervention objectives and how to incorporate those assessment components in SAR applications. All SARs need power, and careful consideration is needed to ensure the SAR is fully powered, safe, and efficient. There are several options when considering power for robotic systems. The most common power systems include shore power, and energy storage devices.
