Child-Robot Interactions Using Educational Robots: An Ethical and Inclusive Perspective

Area of Science:

• Robotics in Education
• Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)
• STEM Education

Background:

• The Qui-Bot H2O project developed sustainable educational robots with HRI features like voice recognition and color sensing.
• Robots have a humanoid appearance, emphasizing social and ethical aspects of robotics in chemistry and industry 4.0 for young learners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact, interest, and satisfaction of students interacting with educational robots.
• To conduct an ethical study on robot integration in classrooms and compare humanoid vs. non-humanoid robot interactions.
• To analyze the project's impact measures within its first year.

Main Methods:

• An interactive study involving 212 students aged 3-18.
• Utilized educational robots for measuring student backgrounds, impact, and interest.
• Included an ethical analysis and a comparative observation of robot interaction types.

Main Results:

• Educational robots effectively teach technical and scientific concepts playfully and intuitively.
• The robots significantly increased interest in science and engineering careers among girls.
• The project garnered endorsement and participation from public administrations, educational, and business entities.

Conclusions:

• Educational robots are valuable tools for engaging young students in STEM subjects.
• The Qui-Bot H2O project demonstrates a positive impact on student learning and gender diversity in STEM.
• The project successfully integrated social, ethical, and technical aspects of robotics in an educational setting.