Social science

i-ORA creative director Murray Grossmith and IRL human movement scientist Dr Kimberlee Jordan.

At the start of 2011, Christchurch software company i-ORA set itself a challenge: to explore the therapeutic potential of using technology to help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

i-ORA develops software and interfaces for medical, health and safety and educational applications for both national and international clients and scientific collaborations.

"Our initial aim was to develop a platform, similar to iTunes, where parents and educators could review and download applications that not only were fun to engage with, but also had proven beneficial effects," Murray Grossmith, creative director of the project, says.

"This platform is now an interface for caregivers to track children’s progress and provides us with invaluable data about how effectively the software is working."

However, as the project developed, i-ORA discovered a potentially innovative route to engaging children with ASD. Autism is a developmental disability, impairing brain function and impacting on development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills.

Both children and adults experience difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions and play activities.

"When someone first mentioned robots I thought they were joking," says Grossmith.

"But preliminary research indicates that using an anthromorphic interface may be the key to bridging the gaps in human relationships."

The robot in question is called iZac, and can often be seen around the i-ORA offices in Christchurch. iZac is no toy—he’s a fully functioning robot with facial and voice recognition software (so he knows who you are), camera (so he can see you), infra-red and ultrasonic detectors (augmenting himself to the room), and he even tells you when he’s feeling tired and goes and plugs himself into his base station.

"The really clever stuff is combining this hardware with the software we’re developing," says i-ORA Chief Executive Jeremy Cadillac.

"Then, unlike a PC or iPad, you have a device that will actually come up to you and ask you how you’re feeling today. This type of predictable social engagement is a key factor in our research into ASD."

Recently i-ORA presented iZac at Autism One, one of the major annual conferences for autism in the United States. There, they engaged with more than 5000 people over four days, many of them parents dealing with ASD.

"It’s vital that we provide people with applications and resources that they need, but we also need to get the science right," Grossmith says.

To achieve this, i-ORA partnered with IRL’s Marcus King, New Zealand’s premier inventor of assistive technology and winner of the Cooper Medal for his leading work in rehabilitation science.

"New technology gives us huge potential for doing things that we couldn’t think of before, especially for people with disabilities," King says.

"Kids love playing with cute robots, and using this to help them engage with friends and become part of society is an exciting area of science."

Applications created by King as part of this work teach basic social skills such as awareness of others’ emotions.

"Our applications encourage group interaction with the robot and taking turns in order to continue to play and develop human interactional skills."

i-ORA plans to have a fully functional product to market within the next twelve months.