Toward Anxiety-Reducing Pocket Robots for Children

A common denominator for most therapy treatments for children who suffer from an anxiety disorder is daily practice routines to learn techniques needed to overcome anxiety. However, applying those techniques while experiencing anxiety can be highly challenging. This paper presents the design, implementation, and pilot study of a tactile hand-held pocket robot “AffectaPocket”, designed to work alongside therapy as a focus object to facilitate coping during an anxiety attack. The robot does not require daily practice to be used, has a small form factor, and has been designed for children 7 to 12 years old. The pocket robot works by sensing when it is being held and attempts to shift the child's focus by presenting them with a simple three-note rhythm-matching game. We conducted a pilot study of the pocket robot involving four children aged 7 to 10 years, and then a main study with 18 children aged 6 to 8 years; neither study involved children with anxiety. Both studies aimed to assess the reliability of the robot's sensor configuration, its design, and the effectiveness of the user tutorial. The results indicate that the morphology and sensor setup performed adequately and the tutorial process enabled the children to use the robot with little practice. This work demonstrates that the presented pocket robot could represent a step toward developing low-cost accessible technologies to help children suffering from anxiety disorders.