Automatic mobile robot for facilitating activities to improve child development

An automated, therapeutic system, comprising:

• a mobile robot, comprising
• two wheels, a left wheel and a right wheel, each wheel having a diameter equal to a maximum height of the robot;
• a sturdy, generally cylindrical body, substantially disposed between the two wheels and having a maximum body height less than the diameter of the two wheels, and having components including a front face with two display screens situated thereon in positions indicative of eyes, and two actuated eyebrows disposed above the two display screens;
• two transparent domes, a left dome disposed outside of the left wheel and a right dome disposed outside of the right wheel, each dome having colored lights disposed therein;
• colored lights and a speaker attached to a lower portion of the front face;
• and
• a main-microcontroller module for receiving data from multiple sensing units, processing the data, and sending commands to multiple sub-modules for controlling the sensing units, components of the robot, and locomotion of the robot,
• wherein the sensing units include a touch sensor located on the body of the robot, a displacement sensor located on the front face, a gyroscope sensor, and an RFID reader,
• and wherein the components include the two display screens, the two actuated eyebrows, the colored lights, and the speaker,
• and wherein there are at least four sub-modules for controlling components of the robot, configured to send instructions to the components for expressing emotion in response to data received from the sensing units, said emotion is expressed by a combination of a display of eye images on the two display screens, associated motion of the two actuated eyebrows, an associated display pattern of colored lights, and an associated playback of sound on the speaker;
• an external device for controlling the robot via a wireless-communication module configured to send data to the main-microcontroller module;
• and
• at least one accessory for using with the robot as a part of a therapeutic activity, the accessory selected from RFID accessories, wireless remote controls, and joysticks.

A method, performed by a robot, of facilitating activities to improve child development, comprising:

• performing a stimulating action with the robot, the robot having two actuated eyebrows disposed above two display screens, the stimulating action selected from locomotion, playing a sound, moving the two actuated eyebrows, displaying images on the two display screens, displaying colored lights, and any combination thereof;
• sensing initial interaction of at least one child user with the robot;
• initiating a learning activity program having structured rules and turn-based play wherein players include the at least one child user, the robot, and a tertiary user;
• detecting interaction of the at least one child user with the robot;
• and
• based on the detected interaction, processing emotional responses of the robot wherein the emotional response is expressed by a combination of a display of eye images on each of the two display screens on the robot, associated motion of the two actuated eyebrows above the two display screens, an associated display pattern of colored lights from the robot, and an associated playback of sound on a speaker on the robot.