Robots used to help autistic children - latimes.com

[Guest guest]

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-autism-robots-20111017,0,5798122.story

Robots aren't known for their soft side. They build cars and defuse

bombs; they don't, as a rule, make friends or deal with feelings. But a

few groups of researchers around the world are working to build robots

for an unusual purpose: Making emotional connections with autistic

children who often struggle to interact with humans.

There's something about machines that really seems to resonate with many

kids with autism, says Maja Mataric, co-director of the Robotics

Research Lab at USC. These children often have trouble reading human

emotions and social cues --- complexities they don't have to worry about

when they're around a mechanical being.

" Robots are simpler than people, " Mataric says.

Still, robots may seem like unlikely candidates for a job usually filled

by therapists. As Mataric points out....

..