Treating autism with a robot that can read patients' minds

Thanks to the TecO robot, we will understand the thinking of autistic children better than ever.

Children with autism often have great difficulty expressing emotions as well as communicating and dealing with problems related to social interaction.

TecO is designed in the shape of a bear.

In order to support children with autism, scientists at Tec de Monterrey University, Mexico, have created a humanoid robot that uses artificial intelligence to help autistic children recognize their own facial expressions and those of those around them.

This high-tech robot, called TecO, is able to detect nerve signals emitted by autistic children using an amplifier sensor mounted on their heads. The nerve signals are recorded by the sensor and then sent to a computer to be converted into specific neural information.

Psychologists and neurologists will use this information to assess the severity of autism and plan appropriate future treatment.

"TecO will detect any thoughts and intentions of the patient. When autistic children have strong emotions such as sleepiness, anger or sadness, TecO will adjust its activities to create appropriate interactions. This will gradually improve the autistic condition in children," said David Silva Balderas, a technical expert at Tec de Monterrey University.

In the past, the psychological changes of children with autism were almost impossible to determine. However, with the support of technology, many difficult problems have been solved.

TecO will help attract the attention of autistic children, promoting their thinking to be social rather than locking themselves inside. Besides, this robot also has the ability to reduce feelings of anxiety and fear.

Practical studies have shown that using TecO in the treatment of autistic children has brought about remarkable changes after only 2 months.

TecO is a very effective tool in measuring the progress of autistic patients. By measuring the number of times autistic children look at the robot as well as analyzing photos of facial expressions and changes in eye pupils, scientists can assess the level of autism of the patient.

If autistic children show no interest in TecO, the robot will make strange sounds or movements to attract attention and create appropriate interaction.

TecO is about 50 cm tall. It has a face and arms that resemble a teddy bear. TecO is made of aluminum and is electrically operated. The first generation of TecO has been in development since 2012 and has been gradually perfected until now.

The researchers believe that when it hits the market, TecO could cost around $1,120 (about 25 million VND). However, they say this amount is not large when compared to other high-tech devices such as laptops or smartphones.

Furthermore, currently, parents of autistic children pay an average of $140 (VND 3.1 million) per month to consult a specialist. Therefore, although TecO may seem like an expensive treatment at first, in the long term, they will prove to be highly effective both economically and in terms of progress in the treatment process.

According to Khoahoc.tv