Diseño de un robot de apoyo comunicacional y cognitivo para niños dentro del espectro autista

Abstract

CONDITION FOR PUBLICATION OF PROJECT. The present project proposes the design of a communicational and cognitive support robot aimed at children within the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with the objective of complementing traditional therapies through adaptive activities and the use of an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system. The hypothesis states that an accessible robotic platform, specifically designed for domestic environments, can promote the child’s communicative and cognitive development while enabling the collection of objective performance metrics. To this end, a prototype was developed integrating a 3D-printed mechanical structure, an electronic architecture based on a Raspberry Pi 5, a custom-designed PCB, and a control system programmed using ROS 2. Visual interfaces with pictograms, auditory feedback, physical interaction, and report generation modules were implemented. The results demonstrated stable system performance, proper integration of mechanical, electronic, and software subsystems, as well as the robot’s ability to execute communicational, cognitive, and sensory regulation activities. In conclusion, the project validates the feasibility of an accessible robotic platform that serves as a complementary tool for therapeutic support, offering multimodal interaction and monitoring of user progress. Keywords: Therapeutic robotics, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, cognitive intervention, assistive robotics