QTrobot, the Robot Changing the Lives of Autistic Children

- Opens the door of interaction and concentration for children with autism - Assists therapists in an effective and enjoyable way - Bridges robotic and healthcare to promote childrens wellbeing

With the plethora of new technology and research at our disposal, it should come as no

surprise that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can now be used as an educational and therapeutic
tool to stimulate cognition and mental health. We are a Luxembourg based company,
named LuxAI, specialized in disruptive robotic solutions for health-care and education.
Over the past few years, we have successfully developed a socially assistive robot, the
QTrobot. It stands at the intersection of technology and wellbeing by being one of the first
of its kind to provide engaging and effective training for children with Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD).

As recently announced by Center of Disease Control (CDC), the incidence of autism is 1
in every 59 children, and with the alarming growth rate of 250% during the last 15 years,
autism is emerging as a public health priority. Even though there is no cure for autism,
scientific studies suggest intensive therapies at an early stage yield long-lasting and
meaningful improvements to the childs ability to adapt and thrive in social situations.
However, as ASD is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication,
as well as in attention, therapy sessions are in need of more engaging tools to maximize
efficiency. With its cute and expressive appearance, as well as its user-friendly graphical
interface, the QTrobot acts as a helpful assistant for therapists to connect better with kids
with autism.

By using facial expressions, gestures, social stories and games, and reinforcing the
children through operant conditioning, QTrobot teaches children with autism how to deal
with various situations they will encounter in the social world. For example, QTrobot can
guide children through how to deal with loss, by engaging the child in a social story. The
graphical interface available on a tablet is not only as easy to use as a smartphone, but
it requires no technical background to create and innovate new lessons and applications
in order to meet the unique needs of each individual child with autism.

The QTrobot is being increasingly used in psychological studies due to its accessibility
and versatility. These studies have also scientifically validated the technology. One study
conducted at the University of Luxembourg by Costa et al 1shows how children were more
engaged with the robot as they were with a person. Furthermore, the study shows that
QTrobot increases the attention and engagement of kids with ASD and reduces the
characteristic disruptive behaviors. The field is young, and a lot more research has to be
done to elucidate the benefits, but the potential the intersection of AI and therapy exhibits
is very much there, especially with the increasing prevalence of ASD. LuxAI is currently
in the process of mass producing the QTrobot in order to make it available and affordable
to those in need. Having a tool to help children with Autism hone their social skills readily
available, with fool-proof/convenient/straightforward technology could be revolutionary for
care-givers, children and the tech world.

About LuxAI
LuxAI is an innovative company specialized in disruptive robotic solutions for health-care
and education, using the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and robot-assistedtherapy.
LuxAI was founded in 2016, by Pouyan Ziafati, a PhD in Artificial Intelligence
and Robotics and Aida Nazarikhorram, a medical doctor. The LuxAI mission is to
democratize socially assistive robots by developing user-friendly robots which all
teachers, therapists and care givers can use for their everyday work of improving the
health and education of people. LuxAI has won multiple international startup and
innovation awards including the 2018 Best Ideas from Europe, and the 2017 Research-
Driven Innovation Award of the Luxembourg National Research Fund.

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