System and method of pervasive developmental disorder interventions

Abstract

Methods and systems for observing/analyzing interactive behavior are presented. In one instance, the method for observing/analyzing interactive behavior includes interacting, using a robot, with a subject and obtaining data from interaction between the subject and the robot, the data from the data acquisition components, the data being used for diagnosis and/or charting progress. In one instance, the robot includes data acquisition components, interaction inducing components (such as, but not limited to, movable eyelids, movable appendages, sound generating components), a control component operatively connected to the interaction inducing components and a processing component operatively connected to the control component and the data acquisition components, the processing component being configured to obtain data from the data acquisition components, the data being used for diagnosis and/or charting progress. In one instance, the robot is integrated with a computer-aided system for diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A robotic system for applying behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy to a human subject, the robotic system comprising:
 a robot, the robot comprising:
 a plurality of actuators; 
 a plurality of sensors; 
 interaction inducing components operatively connected to the plurality of actuators; and 
 a processor operatively connected to the plurality of sensors and the plurality of actuators; and 
   a user interface for the robot, the user interface comprising a display device, wherein:
 the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:
 receive sensor data from the sensors; 
 based on the sensor data, generate a diagnosis of the human subject interacting with the robot; 
 receive behavior inducing instructions for the robot based on interactions with the user interface; and 
 initiate movement of the interaction inducing components by operating the plurality of actuators in accordance with the behavior inducing instructions. 
 
   
     
     
         42 . The robotic system of  claim 41 , wherein the display device is configured to:
 receive the diagnosis from the processor;   display the diagnosis on the display device;   receive the behavior inducing instructions from a supervisor of the ABA therapy; and   transmit the behavior inducing instructions to the processor of the robot.   
     
     
         43 . The robotic system of  claim 41 , wherein the user interface is configured to:
 display at least one object on a touchscreen; and   receive, via the touchscreen, interactions with the at least one object by the human subject,   wherein generating of the diagnosis is further based on the interactions with the objects.   
     
     
         44 . The robotic system of  claim 41 , wherein:
 the diagnosis is for a pervasive developmental disorder; and   the behavior inducing instructions are part of therapy to assist with the pervasive developmental disorder.   
     
     
         45 . The robotic system of  claim 41 , the robot having a humanoid shape. 
     
     
         46 . The robotic system of  claim 45 , the behavior inducing instructions causing the humanoid shape to express an emotion. 
     
     
         47 . The robotic system of  claim 41 , the user interface comprising a touch screen, wherein a portion of the touch screen is used for controlling the robot. 
     
     
         48 . The robotic system of  claim 41 , the processor being further configured to perform operations comprising:
 operating the interaction inducing components to perform one of providing and assisting in providing applied behavior analysis therapy between the robot and the human subject.   
     
     
         49 . The robotic system of  claim 41 , the user interface further configured to:
 record interactions between the robot and the human subject;   generate quantitative metrics based on the interactions; and   charting progress of the quantitative metrics over time.   
     
     
         50 . A robotic system for facilitating education of a human subject, the robotic system comprising:
 a robot, the robot comprising:
 a plurality of actuators; 
 a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensor comprising at least one camera; 
 interaction inducing components operatively connected to the plurality of actuators; and 
 a processor operatively connected to the plurality of sensors and the plurality of actuators, 
 the processor having instructions stored which cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a series of images from the at least one camera; 
 identifying a face within the series of images; 
 identifying the face as belonging to the human subject; and 
 identifying an emotion of the human subject from at least one image in the series of images. 
 
   
     
     
         51 . The robotic system of  claim 50 , the processor having additional instructions stored which cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 causing movement in the plurality of actuators in response to the emotion.   
     
     
         52 . The robotic system of  claim 50 , the processor having additional instructions stored which cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 record interactions between the robot and the human subject;   generate quantitative metrics based on the interactions; and   charting progress of the quantitative metrics over time.   
     
     
         53 . The robotic system of  claim 52 , the processor having additional instructions stored which cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 generating an assessment of performance of the human subject based on the quantitative metrics;   modifying planned interactions between the robot and the human subject based on the assessment.   
     
     
         54 . The robotic system of  claim 53 , wherein the modifying of the planned interactions occurs without human supervision. 
     
     
         55 . The robotic system of  claim 50 , wherein the identifying of the emotion further comprises:
 using Kalman filter-based tracking of the face based on Cartesian positions of features identified within each respective image in the series of images, the emotion being based on differences to the face between images in the series of images.   
     
     
         56 . The robotic system of  claim 50 , the processor having additional instructions stored which cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 identifying at least one of an arm and a leg of the human subject; and   tracking, over the series of images, the at least one of the arm and the leg of the human subject.   
     
     
         57 . A method, comprising:
 identifying, using a plurality of sensors on a robot, a human subject interacting with the robot;   generating, via a processor on the robot, and as part of applied behavior analysis therapy between the robot and the human subject, a command designed to cause a response in the human subject by moving at least one actuator in a plurality of actuators in the robot;   transmitting the command to the at least one actuator;   recording, via a camera of the robot, a response of the human subject to movement of the at least one actuator;   generating, via the processor and based on the response, a quantitative measurement related to at least one of cognitive development, behavioral development, emotional development, and social development of the human subject; and   performing at least one of diagnosing a developmental disorder based on the quantitative measurement using a psychological assessment criteria and charting progress of the applied behavior analysis therapy using the quantitative measurement.   
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising:
 modifying, via the processor, code to be executed by the processor based on the quantitative measurement.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the response of the human subject comprises an emotion. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising:
 recording, via the camera of the robot, a series of images capturing features of a face of the human subject, wherein the emotion is identified based on changes to the features between images within the series of images.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising:
 recording, via the camera of the robot, a series of images capturing features of an appendage of the human subject; and   identifying a movement of the appendage as part of the response.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 57 , the developmental disorder being associated with autism. 
     
     
         63 . A computer-based therapy system, comprising:
 networked connections, across a network, with a plurality of therapeutic robots;   a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 generating, for a specific therapeutic robot in the plurality of therapeutic robots, a therapy for the specific therapeutic robot; 
 receiving, from each therapeutic robot in the plurality of therapeutic robots, 
 including the specific therapeutic robot, data associated with respective therapeutic sessions conducted by the plurality of therapeutic robots, resulting in collected data; 
 diagnosing a human subject of a therapeutic session of the specific therapeutic robot using the collected data, resulting in a diagnosis; 
 modifying the therapy for the human subject based on the diagnosis and the collected data, resulting in enhanced therapy; and 
 transmitting the enhanced therapy to the specific therapeutic robot across the network. 
   
     
     
         64 . The computer-based therapy system of  claim 63 , wherein the network is the Internet, and the therapeutic robots are located in homes of human subjects interacting with respective therapeutic robots in the plurality of therapeutic robots. 
     
     
         65 . The computer-based therapy system of  claim 63 , wherein:
 the data associated with the respective therapeutic sessions comprises sensory data; and the modifying of the therapy is further based on the sensory data.   
     
     
         66 . The computer-based therapy system of  claim 63 , wherein the modifying of the therapy is automatically performed upon diagnosing the human subject with the diagnosis. 
     
     
         67 . The computer-based therapy system of  claim 63 , further comprising:
 a supervisory interface.   
     
     
         68 . The computer-based therapy system of  claim 67 , the supervisory interface:
 providing access to therapies distributed to the plurality of therapeutic robots; and   being accessible by a remote supervisor, the remote supervisor being remotely located from the plurality of therapeutic robots.   
     
     
         69 . The computer-based therapy system of  claim 67 , the supervisory interface:
 providing access to the therapy and the enhanced therapy stored on the specific therapeutic robot; and   being accessible by a local supervisor, the local supervisor being co-located with the specific therapeutic robot and the human subject.