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Talk · IEEE RO-MAN · August 25, 2025

Furhat Robot for Children: Designing an Interactive Educational Activity

Nurziya Oralbayeva, Ameli Isteleyeva, Nurbanu Zhenissova, Zhansaule Telisheva, Aida Tungatarova, Anara Sandygulova

Zhansaule Telisheva
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Abstract

Children bring unique perspectives and valuable input into design processes, unburdened by the complexities of societal influences. Their direct involvement in the design process is essential for creating meaningful, engaging, and inclusive activities. Participatory design (PD) research is becoming increasingly important in involving end-users in co-designing robotic systems and software. This paper presents the preliminary findings of a PD workshop aimed at establishing an interactive and collaborative environment for children’s co-design of a learning activity for robot-assisted learning on the Furhat robot. To this end, we conducted four workshop sessions with children aged 2-8 years old to co-create a robot-assisted learning scenario surrounding the topic of animals. As a result, together with the children, we designed and tested the prototype of a learning scenario, which helped us identify the shortcomings and set the foundation for future robot-assisted learning scenarios and activities. By reflecting on the challenges and lessons learned through PD with young children, we contribute to enhancing the understanding of PD.

Social Robot Interaction and HRIInnovative Human-Technology InteractionEducational Robotics and EngineeringFurhat robotrobot-assisted learningparticipatory design

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