Building a novel learning environment for children using Weak-Robots concept

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K12512
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Kansei informatics
• Research Institution: Toyohashi University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: OKADA Michio 豊橋技術科学大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (50374096)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 柏崎 秀子 実践女子大学, 生活科学部, 教授 (30221873)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 〈弱いロボット〉 / 共同想起 / 学びの場のデザイン / 高齢者ケア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The duality in learning and development that “if you care for a child, as a result, the carer has grown together” has been discussed as “relational development theory”. In our research, from this point of view, by using the fact that the “weak robot” with an incomplete ability draws out the children's active relationships and assists, it promotes children's learning in this relationship. The aim of our research is to establish methodologies to design and construct a novel learning environment for children. Specifically, we are building a robot that sometimes forgets important words while talking about old tale, and the empathic assisted behavior of the children to the incomplete speech and recall of this robot promotes their learning. In addition, with these relationship development theory, we are aiming at application to the field of care of the elderly people.

Free Research Field

社会的ロボティクス、ヒューマン・ロボットインタラクション

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、子どもたちに昔ばなしを語って聞かせようとするも、時々大切な言葉をもの忘れしてしまうような〈弱いロボット〉が、むしろ子どもたちの積極的な関わりや手助けを引きだすことを生かして、この関わりの中で子どもたちの学びを促すような学習環境の構築方法を提供するものである。同一の枠組みは、高齢者がロボットとの共同想起に貢献する中で、自らもケアされるような場面への展開も期待できる。