Olivia Barber, first author and PhD student
Robotic animals could be the ‘pawfect’ replacement for our real-life furry friends, a new study published today by the University of Portsmouth has found.
Animals, especially dogs, can have therapeutic benefits for children and young people. A new paper, published in The International Journal of Social Robotics, has found that the robotic animal, ‘MiRo-E’, can be just as effective and may even be a better alternative.
Dr Leanne Proops from the Department of Psychology, who supervised the study said: “We know that real dogs can provide calming and enjoyable interactions for children – increasing their feelings of wellbeing, improving motivation and reducing stress.
“This preliminary study has found that biomimetic robots – robots that mimic animal behaviours – may be a suitable replacement in certain situations and there are some benefits to using them over a real dog.”
Dogs are the most commonly used animals for therapy because of their training potential and generally social nature. However, there are concerns about using them in a setting with children because of the risk of triggering allergies or transmitting disease, and some people do not like dogs, so may not be comfortable in the presence of a real therapy dog.
Olivia Barber, who owns a therapy dog herself, and is first author of the paper, said: “Although lots of people in schools and hospitals benefit greatly from receiving visits from a therapy dog, we have to be mindful of the welfare of the therapy dog. Visits can be stressful and incredibly tiring for therapy dogs, meaning that we should be exploring whether using a robotic animal is feasible.”
There are lots of positives to using a robotic animal over a therapy dog. They can be thoroughly cleaned and can work for longer periods of time. They can also be incredibly lifelike, mirroring the movements and behaviour of a real animal, such as wagging their tails to show excitement, expressing “emotions” through sounds and colour, turning their ears towards sounds and even going to sleep.
The researchers used real dogs and a biomimetic robot in a mainstream secondary school in West Sussex to interact with 34 children aged 11-12.
The two real-life therapy dogs were a three-year-old Jack Russell crossed with a Poodle and a 12-year-old Labrador-retriever from the charity Pets as Therapy. The robot was a MiRo-E biomimetic robot developed by Consequential Robotics.
The children were asked to complete a questionnaire about their beliefs and attitudes towards dogs and robots, before they took part in two separate free-play sessions, one with a real-life dog and one with a robot.
The researchers found the children spent a similar amount of time stroking both the real-life dog and the robot, but they spent more time interacting with the robot.
Despite the children reporting they significantly preferred the session with the living dog, overall enjoyment was high and they actually expressed more positive emotions following interaction with the robot. The more the children attributed mental states and sentience to the dog and robot, the more they enjoyed the sessions.
Dr Proops said: “This is a small-scale study, but the results show that interactive robotic animals could be used as a good comparison to live dogs in research, and a useful alternative to traditional animal therapy.”
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Robotic animals
- Save $400 on Samsung’s new AI-powered robot vacuum
Grab a super powerful and intelligent robot vacuum from Samsung for $400 off and have the cleanest home possible for less.
- Robots cannot outrun animals, but they’re evolving faster
Despite these efforts, today's robots still cannot match the natural abilities of many animals in terms of endurance ...
- Health Headlines: Robot therapy dogs bringing smiles to children’s faces
STANFORD, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) - A recent peer-reviewed study indicates that children who spend time with therapy dogs can lower their stress even more than relaxation exercises. That outcome ...
- Robotic Dog Dressed as a Fox Saves Animals Lives…by Chasing Them?
Of all Boston Dynamics' deployed robots, this one may have the strangest assignment. The post Robotic Dog Dressed as a Fox Saves Animals Lives…by Chasing Them? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.
- For less than $10,000, you can buy your own flame-throwing robot dog
Throwflame, an Ohio company, is offering up what it says is the world’s first robot dog with a flamethrower on its back, good for wildfire management, snow removal and fun.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Robotic animals
[google_news title=”” keyword=”robotic animals” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Biomimetic robots
- The best sales to shop this weekend: Baby Foot, Athleta, Bose and more
This weekend, you’ll find a deal on an Eddie Bauer camping tent, a discounted travel steamer and savings on Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. All that and more below.
- Top 6 Humanoid Robot Companies To Consider As A New Trend Potentially Takes Off
Discover the booming global market for humanoid robots set to reach $38 billion by 2035. Click for a full review of current humanoid robotics firm developments.
- How the Optimus Tesla Bot humanoid robot is made
Tesla, renowned for its groundbreaking innovations in electric vehicles and sustainable energy, has moving into the realm of humanoid robotics over the ...
- Video: Multi-talented underwater robot uses fins to swim, walk and crawl
A new underwater robot can swim through the water with fins, and walk or crawl along the bottom when necessary. These capabilities could really give it a leg up – pun fully intended – at outperforming ...
- Optogenetics Illuminates Cerebellum's Role in Neuroprosthetics
The field of neuroprosthetics, which enables the brain to operate external devices like robotic limbs, is starting to gain traction as a potential treatment option for individuals who are ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Biomimetic robots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”biomimetic robots” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]