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Article published In: Interaction Studies
Vol. 25:1 (2024) ► pp.36–69

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Towards accessible robot-assisted physical play for children with physical disabilities

MyJay, from user-centred design to an initial feasibility study

 | University of Waterloo
 | University of Waterloo
 | University of Waterloo
 | University of Waterloo
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

This article was made Open Access under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license through payment of an APC by or on behalf of the authors.

Published online: 7 June 2024
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https://doi.org/10.1075/is.00023.mah
Abstract
MyJay is an open-source robot designed to facilitate play between children with and without physical disabilities. The robot acts as a proxy for children with upper limb challenges, allowing them to participate in physical games with their peers. Our design was inspired by the FIRST Robotics Competition, which involves teleoperating robots to manipulate objects. Taking a user-centred perspective, we consulted therapists and conducted remote interviews with children with disabilities and their guardians at various stages of the design process. We then conducted an in-person feasibility study with 18 typically developing children in a school setting. The study involved children teleoperating the robot to pick up and throw balls into a designated goal, and the interaction was evaluated using the user experience questionnaire and the Robotic Social Attributes Scale. The results of the study show great potential for MyJay to act as a play mediator in various scenarios, and the response from the children was positive. The ultimate aim of our research agenda is to pave the way towards creating more inclusive play environments through robot-mediated interactions, breaking barriers posed by physical limitations.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • Extending previous work
    • Overview of the article
  • 2.Designing MyJay
    • 2.1Overview of the design process
    • 2.2Robot design
      • 2.2.1Drivetrain
      • 2.2.2Intake, elevator and flywheel
      • 2.2.3Electronics
      • 2.2.4Software
      • 2.2.5Shell design
  • 3.Methods
    • 3.1Consulting therapists
    • 3.2Feedback from children with disabilities and their guardians
      • 3.2.1Protocol
      • 3.2.2Participants
    • 3.3Feasibility study
      • 3.3.1Study setup
      • 3.3.2Data collection
      • 3.3.3Protocol
      • 3.3.4Participants
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Feedback from therapists
    • 4.2Feedback from children with disabilities and their guardians
      • 4.2.1Thematic analysis
      • 4.2.2Personas
    • 4.3Feasibility study
      • 4.3.1Questionnaire analysis
      • 4.3.2Video analysis
      • 4.3.3Other observations
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Online interviews with therapists
    • 5.2Online interviews with children and their guardians
    • 5.3In-person feasibility study
  • 6.Conclusion and limitations
    • 6.1Limitations
  • 7.Perspectives and future research directions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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