2009-12-01

The Keepon Robot

clipped from beatbots.net

Keepon is a small creature-like robot designed to interact with children by directing attention and expressing emotion. Keepon’s minimal design makes its behaviors easy to understand, resulting in interactions that are enjoyable and comfortable—particularly important in our research on human social development.

Keepon has soft rubber skin, cameras in its eyes, and a microphone in its nose:

Keepon's appearance and internal structure
Keepon's soft body

Keepon has been used since 2003 in research on social development and communication. We have studied behaviors such as eye-contact, joint attention, touching, emotion, and imitation between Keepon and children of different ages and levels of social development. In the case of children with autism and other developmental disorders, we have had encouraging results with the use of Keepon as a tool for therapists, pediatricians, and parents to observe, study, and facilitate social interactions.


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clipped from spectrum.ieee.org


RoboBusiness: Keepon dancing robot's place in autism therapy

clipped from singularityhub.com
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Although originally designed as a therapeutic tool for children, the unexpected public appeal of the Keepon robot has spurred its creators to launch a company, Beatbots, that will bring an affordable version to the masses.

Keepon robot makes a big impression at IREX (Video)

IREX 091126 -1
Michalowski noted that the long term BeatBots strategic plan includes a lower cost version for the general consumer market, but the company wants to approach commercialization very cautiously and without compromising the robots performance and quality in the process.
clipped from www.youtube.com

Keepon dancing to Spoon's "Don't You Evah"

clipped from www.youtube.com

Keepon: Friend or Foe?


Carnegie Mellon alum Daniel H. Wilson (author of "How to Build a Robot Army" and host of "The Works") meets the dancing yellow robot Keepon and overcomes his robot paranoia. More info at http://www.cmu.edu/robou

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Sources:
  1. Research « BeatBots
  2. IEEE Spectrum: RoboBusiness: Keepon dancing robot's place in autism therapy
  3. Simple Keepon Robot Wows Humans | Singularity Hub
  4. Keepon robot makes a big impression at IREX (Video) - ROBOTS DREAMS
  5. YouTube - Keepon dancing to Spoon's "Don't You Evah"
  6. YouTube - Keepon: Friend or Foe?
Related:
  1. BeatBots
  2. Keepon dancing robot going commercial -- Engadget
  3. Keepon lite coming soon? - Short Sharp Science - New Scientist
  4. Robots with rhythm could rock your world - tech - 22 March 2007 - New Scientist