Off-the-shelf, robotic toys and physically impaired children: an analysis and suggested improvements

Abstract

We proposed activities with a set of robotic toys available on the market to children with physical impairments. The toys were selected to be representative of different types of offer, with the aim to evaluate the possibility to adopt them as tools to enable play activity in children with this type of impairments. From the analysis of the interaction with seven children, we have identified possible issues and interventions that families, possibly supported by "experts" in their networks, can apply to make these toys usable by their children.