PlusMe functional features
This video shows the functional features of the current experimental prototype, used in two pilot experiments with Typically Developed children (TD) and with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Communication Disorders (CD).
Experimental sessions (May-June 2021)
The following video shows selected clips from a pilot experiment run on 3 children (age 36,42 and 50 months), diagnosed with high-functioning ASD. The experiment was run in May-June 2021. Preliminary results are available in the project deliverable 2.1 "Experimental phase, stage one" and deliverable 2.2 "Experimental phase, stage two".
The playful activities involve a therapist and an experimenter (who is in the same room but never in the camera field of view). The therapist, exploiting the PlusMe toy, tries to stimulate the child's engagement in the social interaction. The PlusMe outputs (lights and sounds) are triggered both by the child (who touches the paws) and by the experimenter (who set the toy rewarding patterns) according to the child's requests. The experiment planned 4 sessions, one per week, lasting about 10 minutes.
Previous experimental sessions (year 2020)
The following video shows selected clips from a pilot experiment, where the PlusMe toy was tested on children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Communication Disorders. This research (which is related to a previous project funded by Regione Lazio, progetto di gruppo di ricerca finanziato ai sensi della L.R Lazio 13/08) is described in the brief research report Acceptability of the Transitional Wearable Companion "+me" in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Comparative Pilot Study (Frontiers in Psychology 2020).
The octopus X-8
X-8 is a new experimental toy, based on an improved version of PlusMe device. The toy was designed to support turn-taking games with children with ASD. Please, see the dedicated paper in the publications page.
(The following video is part of the supplementary material for the short paper "Interactive soft toys to support social engagement through sensory-motor plays in early intervention of kids with special needs", to be presented in the "Demo & Art Track", at the conference ACM Interaction Design and Children, IDC '22).
The new PlusMe prototype, by IMM-CNR
This video shows a brief functional test of the new PlusMe prototype developed by the Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystems of CNR (CNR-IMM). An overview of the device is available in the deliverable D1.3 "Product demonstrator".
The new control App
This video shows a brief functional test of the new PlusMe control App, developed by the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (CNR-ISTC).
The PlusMe used is the new engineered version, developed by the Institute of Microelectronics and Microsistems (CNR-IMM). An overview of the App features and the device is available in the deliverable D1.3 "Product demonstrator".