Using small-scale robots to nurture a caring mindset in young children

抄録

Robots have been developed that can do precise work, repeat the same job indefinitely, and even replace humans by faithfully reproducing human movements and the human form. However, we decided on a methodology that overturns that image of perfection and precision by using a robot that is unable to move as well as humans. In this study, we examined the use of such a robot to cultivate a caring mindset, or the desire to help others, in young children. A small-scale, remotely operable robot that stood at children's eye-level was manufactured. The robot was brought to a preschool and presented to the children, and an experiment was conducted by having the children exposed to this "disabled" robot that had trouble performing simple tasks, such as opening and closing doors. In this experiment, indications of how the children would accept the robot, and whether they would help the robot, were observed. The results show that children younger than 19 months were afraid of the robot and would not accept it, but children older than ages approximately one to two years old accepted the robot and were observed attempting to help it, confirming that the use of robots can contribute to the cultivation of a caring mindset.