Quantitative analysis of the smiles of children with autism spectrum disorder using smile detecting interface

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25540128
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Kansei informatics
• Research Institution: Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center
• Principal Investigator: Funahashi Atsushi 愛知県心身障害者コロニー発達障害研究所, 教育福祉学部, 室長 (10190125)
• Research Collaborator: SUZUKI KENJI 筑波大学, 大学院情報工学研究科, 教授 (30350474) ; KADONE HIDEKI 筑波大学, サイバニクス研究センター・コア, 助教 (90599820) ; HIROKAWA MASAKAZU 筑波大学, 工学部情報工学系, 助教 (60746303) ; ITOH YASUSHI 愛知県心身障害者コロニー・発達障害研究所, 機能発達学部, 主任研究員 (70268069) ; Gruebler Anna エセックス大学コンピューターサイエンス, 電子工学学部, 特別研究員 ; AOKI KEN 中部アニマルセラピー, 協会代表
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 自閉症 / 笑顔 / 動物介在活動 / ロボット介在活動 / アイコンタクト / ポジテイブな社会的行動促進

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The smiles (a behavioral expression of the pleasurable emotion) of children with autism spectrum disorder were quantitatively analyzed using a smile-detecting interface during an animal-assisted activity or a robot-assisted activity. A positive relationship between the smiles and the positive social behaviors of the children with autism spectrum disorder was found. For further analysis about the smiles of children with autism spectrum disorder, a small humanoid type robot was introduced. It was found that the face-to-face behaviors of the children with autism spectrum disorder toward the animal (dog) or a robot was found to be synchronized with the smiles of these children.

Free Research Field

発達障害児者療育学