ASSISTIVE ROBOTS WORKING WITH CHILDREN - SEEN BY CHILDREN AND PARENTS

Abstract

The study presented in this paper aimed to answer three main questions – the difference in children’s preference of robot appearance and colour; gender differences in children’s preference of different models of robots and in the attribution of gender to the robot; the difference in attitudes towards robots of parents depending on gender, age and socioeconomic status. The sample consists of first grade children and their parents from seven primary schools. Results show that children prefer models of robots which are animal-like, with overstressed cartoon-like facial features and are compact and stocky. Gender differences in the model preference and gender attributed to the robot were found. Dominant colour that children coloured the robot pictures was blue. Parents have more positive than negative attitude towards the assistive robots.