Using Lego robots to estimate cognitive ability in children who have severe physical disabilities.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether low-cost robots provide a means by which children with severe disabilities can demonstrate understanding of cognitive concepts.


METHODS
Ten children, ages 4 to 10, diagnosed with cerebral palsy and related motor conditions, participated. Participants had widely variable motor, cognitive and receptive language skills, but all were non-speaking. A Lego Invention 'roverbot' was used to carry out a range of functional tasks from single-switch replay of pre-stored movements to total control of the movement in two dimensions. The level of sophistication achieved on hierarchically arranged play tasks was used to estimate cognitive skills.


RESULTS
The 10 children performed at one of the six hierarchically arranged levels from 'no interaction' through 'simple cause and effect' to 'development and execution of a plan'. Teacher interviews revealed that children were interested in the robot, enjoyed interacting with it and demonstrated changes in behaviour and social and language skills following interaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Children with severe physical disabilities can control a Lego robot to perform un-structured play tasks. In some cases, they were able to display more sophisticated cognitive skills through manipulating the robot than in traditional standardised tests. Success with the robot could be a proxy measure for children who have cognitive abilities but cannot demonstrate them in standard testing.
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. al.cook@ualberta.ca
Albert M
AM
Cook
Kim
K
Adams
Joanne
J
Volden
Norma
N
Harbottle
Cheryl
C
Harbottle
D001076:Aptitude; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010808:Physical Examination; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011594:Psychometrics; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014741:Video Recording