GROWBOT: a robotic system to help children grow plants

Growbot and Growall comprise an interactive robotic system that helps teach a child to care for a plant. While some children learn caregiving skills from pets, many children live in areas where pet ownership is impractical or not permitted. Plants are more accessible and can teach a similar skillset. But, unlike pets, plants are unable to draw attention themselves to get the care they need. Growbot, a mobile robot capable of moving a plant, enables plants to move in goal-directed ways to gain attention and communicate needs to a child caregiver. As the plant grows with the child's long-term care, the child is rewarded with Growall, an interactive, flowering, wall-mounted surface. As the plant grows, Growall becomes increasingly active to further motivate the child's caregiving. In this demonstration, we will show how Growbot interacts with a plant and communicates its needs to a caregiver.