Relationships between user experiences and children's perceptions of the education robot

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the biological, mental, social, moral, and educational perceptions of young children of the intelligent robot iRobiQ and to explore the effects of user experience on them. The interview was conducted with 111 five-year-old children attending two kindergartens and two childcare centers in which iRobiQ had been purchased and had been in use since March 2009. The young children interacted with the robot for one hour or less everyday over a period of two weeks or less. The robot contents were related to the socio-emotional perceptions of robots and had a high level of human-robot interactions, such as “Talking with the Robot” or “Attendance Check.” Children who experienced the “voice” and “touch screen” functions of the robot showed higher educational perception. The social and educational perception was higher when the robot was placed in a classroom than when it was placed in the hallway or in the office. The results indicated that robot content focusing on socio-emotional characteristics should be developed for educational purposes and that a robot should be placed in the classroom for individual use.