Human Robot Interaction for Distance Education Learning Paradigms

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 led to significant disruptions worldwide, prompting governments to take emergency actions such as halting non-essential activities and enforcing social distancing. As a result, our experimental study, which aimed to compare the effectiveness of robot-based therapy to traditional human-based therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), was suspended. To assess the effectiveness of these tele-consulting methods, we gathered feedback from children and their parents through satisfaction surveys. We also compared the satisfaction levels between live and recorded sessions. Our aim was to minimize the negative effects of the sudden stop in face-to-face sessions. In response, we explored the potential of tele-consulting as an alternative. This paper outlines various methods for conducting both live (synchronous) and recorded (asynchronous) therapy sessions for children already enrolled in our study. The results showed high levels of satisfaction, particularly with the robot-based materials.