Inclusive Play Through Robots: Insights from Early Experimentation

Play is essential for child development, yet children with disabilities often face barriers to engaging in meaningful play. The FROB (Family of ROBots) project explores the use of robots to support inclusive play in educational settings. In the initial experimentation involving 17 children with disabilities across 14 classrooms, we compared robot-assisted and traditional toy play, and we investigated, starting from the LUDI theoretical framework, the cognitive and social dimensions of play and play enjoyment. The results suggest that robots foster cooperative play for children with disabilities, reducing solitary play and promoting higher engagement. Additionally, while enjoyment levels were high, variability in early childhood responses suggests a need for further analysis. Finally, while unexpected play behaviors highlight the need for greater flexibility in robot design and play scenarios, this research underscores the potential of robotics in inclusive play and emphasizes the need for adaptive designs. Future work will analyze video data and integrate findings to improve robots to enhance accessibility and participation.