• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.237-259
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine how children perceived the use of intelligent service robots in early childhood education and identifying the characteristics of the interaction between the children concerned and the robots. The subjects of this study were 49 kindergarten students from Girin Kindergarten in Gyeonggi-do. The results of this study suggested that the children personalized the robot and recognized it as their friend, regardless of their ages. In the interactions between the children and the robot, the children engaged in physical contact with the robot and occasionally tried to control its functions. In the child-robot interaction, the children searched their favorite functions and used them repeatedly, but also lost interest in those repeated functions. Regardless of their interest levels, however, the attendance or portfolio organization functions. With regard to the interaction between peers, there were frequent quarrels regarding the use of the robot at first, but these conflicts were resolved by the intervention of peers or teachers, and the children who were familiar with the use of the robot helped their friends; this was viewed as constituting cooperative behavior. Children usually used the robot with their friends. The robot was a medium for children to find new friends. Peer group activities were explored and new friendships were created as a result of the use of the robot.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2010

This paper presents the system design and implementation of 'Mon-e', the KT's edutainment robot for young children. We paid our special attention to the computer- illiterate young children, and the provision of the physical and friendly human interface of robots. Specifically, the paper focuses on the video telephony and home monitoring service using the Mon-e robot. RFID cards -based calling makes it possible for the computer-illiterate children to make a phone call to their parents. The SIP and DTMF based remote control of the robot enables the search and track of the children. This experimental development shows the potentialities and values of the convergence service of telecommunication and robotics.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.31-37
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• 2011

This article presents program development and analysis of a creative robot school for elementary school at the local university. The purpose of opening the creative robot school is to give motivation to children for having interests in science and engineering at their young ages. The creative robot school program is developed by using facilities of a local university to spread scientific knowledge to young children in their communities to draw their interests in science as well as an engineering field for future careers. Since the robot system is a popular subject to draw attention of children and has a relation with Mechatronics Engineering, a program related with robots is selected for educating children. College students are also involved in helping children to build robots within a given time. Experiences and self-evaluations from the previously held creative robot schools at Chungnam National University(CNU) are presented to share with.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.159-168
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• 2008

Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), based on already well-researched Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), has been under vigorous scrutiny since recent developments in robot technology. Robots may be more successful in establishing common ground in project-based education or foreign language learning for children than in traditional media. Backed by its strong IT environment and advances in robot technology, Korea has developed the world's first available e-Learning home robot. This has demonstrated the potential for robots to be used as a new educational media - robot-learning, referred to as 'r-Learning'. Robot technology is expected to become more interactive and user-friendly than computers. Also, robots can exhibit various forms of communication such as gestures, motions and facial expressions. This study compared the effects of non-computer based (NCB) media (using a book with audiotape) and Web-Based Instruction (WBI), with the effects of Home Robot-Assisted Learning (HRL) for children. The robot gestured and spoke in English, and children could touch its monitor if it did not recognize their voice command. Compared to other learning programs, the HRL was superior in promoting and improving children's concentration, interest, and academic achievement. In addition, the children felt that a home robot was friendlier than other types of instructional media. The HRL group had longer concentration spans than the other groups, and the p-value demonstrated a significant difference in concentration among the groups. In regard to the children's interest in learning, the HRL group showed the highest level of interest, the NCB group and the WBI group came next in order. Also, academic achievement was the highest in the HRL group, followed by the WBI group and the NCB group respectively. However, a significant difference was also found in the children's academic achievement among the groups. These results suggest that home robots are more effective as regards children's learning concentration, learning interest and academic achievement than other types of instructional media (such as: books with audiotape and WBI) for English as a foreign language.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.89-110
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is analyzing the preference of young children for the outward appearance of a teacher-aided humanoid robot. The subjects of this study were 180 kindergarten children who were 4 years old. Ninety five children among the subjects were male, and 85 children were female. The instrument used for this study consisted of 15 questions that involved 3 domains; figure, face, and practical use of robot. The major findings of the study were as follows: First, young children preferred a smooth and intimate robot, and one that had a similar size to them. Second, young children preferred a more characteristic face with big eyes. Third, young children preferred a robot which had a contoured body Fourth, young children preferred a robot which had two legs or tank wheels. Fifth, young children preferred a robot that could play with them and be manipulated by them.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2011

This paper presents an edutainment robot for young children. The edutainment robot called 'Mon-e' has developed by the Central R&D Laboratory at KT. The main services of the Mon-E robot are autonomous moving service, object card and story book telling service and videophone service. The RFID technology was introduced for easy interface to young children. The face of Mon-E robot is mounted with an RFID reader. The RFID tag is pasted on story book and object card. If you approach a book or an object card to the face of Mon-E, the Mon-E robot recognizes the identified code and plays its service. In autonomous moving, if the Mon-E robot meets obstacles, it moves back and turns left or right or half rotation. In videophone service, if young children approach an RFID card to the Mon-E, the Mon-E can make a call to the specific number, which is contained in the RFID card. The developed Mon-E robot has tested in real world environment and is evaluated young children and their parents. In the result of evaluation, the feeling of satisfaction was high to main services of Mon-E robot.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.109-117
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• 2013

This research is for selection of animal and establishment of guideline which for animal robot design for the purpose of emotionally disturbed children's psychotherapy. In the case of emotionally disturbed children because of poor expression about themselves's emotional condition, there are many restriction in the existing cure and educational method. Using research method of animal shape robot which is starting to make attempt since the late 1990s is effective to learning disturbed children. For the development of animal robot for psychotherapy of emotionally disturbed children first of all which animal is selected is very important. Therefore at the early stage of research preference surveyed to children including emotionally disturbed children and decide an object of animal robot. And what kind of shape is very preferred is also preference surveyed. Through focusing group interview about shape, color, facial expression, sound, and move which have an influence on outward shape design of robot, present the guideline which is needed to animal robot design for emotionally disturbed children.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.447-454
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• 2022

This paper presents the psychomotorik-based play activities executed by the social robot at home which helps children's social and emotional development. Based on the theory and practice of the psychomotorik therapy, the play activities were implemented in the close collaboration between psychmotorik experts, service designers and robotics engineers. The designed play activities are classified into four categories depending on the main areas of child development. The robotic system that can express verbal and nonverbal behaviors was developed in order to play games with children and but also to make children have continuous interest during the play activities with it. Finally, the psychomotorik-based play service scenario and interactive robot system were validated by the expert group from the domain of child psychotherapy. The evaluation results showed that the play service and the robot system were appropriately developed for children from the experts point of view.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.97-111
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• 2008

This paper presents three related experiments designed to identify factors that may affect the level of intimacy between children and a robot placed in a kindergarten setting. In total, 68 children aged three to five took part in the experiments, where they were instructed to share four or five stickers with a robot as they wished. Data were collected by means of video-taping and by interviewing the motivations of the children for their conducts in the experiment. The results of the study suggest the following factors that may affect the extent to which a child feels intimacy towards a robot: gender, age, prior experiences with a robot, interaction time with a robot, and the perception of robot appearance design.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.267-282
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the usability of a robot in kindergartens and the children's perceptions of that robot. In order to answer these questions, a field study, picture drawing and interviews were conducted over twelve days in a kindergarten located in Seoul. Our results indicated that children were likely to use the robot in a group and girls tended to use it more than boys. Children's affection towards the robot was positive and they perceived the robot mostly in terms of a friend. Finally, the picture drawing activity differed according to the usability level. Children who were in the high usability level grouping engaged more with educational content and storytelling while the low usability level grouping utilized the robot for singing in a large group.