SIDEKICK
Socially Intelligent Devices Engineered with
Kid-Centered Knowledge
Kid-Centered Knowledge
Social robots – devices created to support social interaction – have shown promise in supporting children and families living with anxiety. In this work, we aimed to co-create social robots with families with lived experience of anxiety.
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Why is this research important?
When technologies are developed without consulting end-users, they tend to reflect the priorities of developers and experts. Including children and families with an experience of anxiety in social robot development will promote the creation of interventions that are helpful and meaningful for this population. What did we do? The team conducted co-creation workshops with children, youth, and parents with lived experience of paediatric anxiety. Workshops included discussion around social robot applications and emotional considerations. A lived experience expert group provided feedback throughout the research. |
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The project was led by Dr. Jill Dosso, former Postdoctoral Fellow in the NEST Lab.
What did we find?
Participants expressed desire for a robot that could guide them through breathing exercises, help them deal with intrusive thoughts, distract them from worrying thoughts, and provide encouragement. Participants also discussed various impacts of a robot’s emotional display.
What did we find?
Participants expressed desire for a robot that could guide them through breathing exercises, help them deal with intrusive thoughts, distract them from worrying thoughts, and provide encouragement. Participants also discussed various impacts of a robot’s emotional display.
Publications & Media
Dosso JA, Kailley JN, Martin SE, Robillard JM. “A safe space for sharing feelings”: perspectives of children with lived experiences of anxiety on social robots. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction. 2023 Dec 15;7(12):118. Google Scholar
Dosso JA, Kailley JN, Robillard JM. The League: A person‐centred approach to the development of social robotics for paediatric anxiety. Health Expectations. 2024 Feb;27(1) Google Scholar
Dosso JA. Centering persons with lived experience in brain health technology research. 2021 Blogpost. Neuroethics Canada
Dosso JA, Kailley JN, Robillard JM. The League: A person‐centred approach to the development of social robotics for paediatric anxiety. Health Expectations. 2024 Feb;27(1) Google Scholar
Dosso JA. Centering persons with lived experience in brain health technology research. 2021 Blogpost. Neuroethics Canada
External Contributors
Dr. François Michaud, Co-Investigator - Université de Sherbrooke; T-TOP robot
Dr. Tony Prescott, Partner - Consequential Robotics; MiRo robot
The League, Lived Experience Expert Group, NEST Lab
Dr. Tony Prescott, Partner - Consequential Robotics; MiRo robot
The League, Lived Experience Expert Group, NEST Lab
Funders
We are proud to have received funding for this project from the following organizations
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