Pokety

Pokety, a pocket robot
Short Description:	The purpose of the project is to manifacture a pocket-size interactive robot for the amusement of children affected by autism or dyspraxia. The robot has its own personality, which is displayed in accordance with kid's movements.
Coordinator:
Tutor:	AndreaBonarini (andrea.bonarini@polimi.it)
Collaborator:
Students:	FlavioDeVincenti (flavio.devincenti@mail.polimi.it)
Research Topic:	Robogames
Status:	Active
Level:	Bs

Abstract

Pokety was conceived with a view to those fundamental requirements a commercial child's toy should satisfy: being cheap and entertaining. Since the project's primary target is represented by kids suffering from mental illnesses or mobility impairments, alongside not-disabled children whose coordination is wanting due to the ordinary growth process -throughout infancy and early childhood-, greater focus and effort must be employed in order to reach their different, though unique, sensitivity. The software runs on an Arduino Mini microcontroller board and is designed to make the robot's behaviour as organic and convincing as possible; emotions arise by means of a piezo speaker, a RGB LED and two independent servo motors, which reproduce the voice, the eyes and the movements of the head respectively. The considerably small size allows shirt pockets or specific pouches to become a suitable nest for Pokety, guaranteeing at the same time major ease in carriage.