Acceptability of a humanoid robot at home for deaf children with cochlear implant and their family: First step towards a remote speech-language training tool

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Stiti, Sabrina | Deguine, Olivier | Caroux, Loïc

Edité par CCSD -

International audience. Aims:This study explores the acceptability of a humanoid robot in the homes of deaf children with cochlear implants (CI). Traditional audiology rehabilitation, usually conducted at hospitals or clinics, significantly impacts communication abilities but poses challenges for families due to geographical distance and parental availability. Introducing home training with a humanoid robot could provide a more equitable distribution of care, aid in the child's progress, and offer an ecological approach. We assessed the acceptability of this robot at home, to evaluate the feasibility of this project.Population:11 children with CI from 7 to 12 years old (6 girls and 5 boys) and 10 parents participated in the study. CI children with an average age of 10,1 years (SD = 1.5) were implanted at an average age of 2,3 years (SD = 1,7), had a lexical age of 9,4 years (SD = 3,9) and a CAP score of 5,9 (SD = 1,0). Parents with an average age of 45,4 years (SD= 6.8). These 10 families, had a favorable family environment and high involvement in the child's rehabilitation, with an average score of 4,9 out of 5 on the Early Family Participation Scale.Methods:We used the humanoid robot "Pepper", equipped with speech, facial recognition. Acceptability was assessed through interaction data (time of use and number of applications) and subjective measures (usability and enjoyment). The study spanned 30 days, with 4 weekly visits to collect interaction data and user feedback..Results:In CI children, two distinct clusters were identified. The first, comprising "young CI children," demonstrated higher scores in acceptability, usability, usefulness, emotion, and amusement (p < .001), as well as more frequent robot usage compared to the second group of "older CI children." We observed a weekly decrease in both the duration of use (p < .001) and the number of applications launched by CI children (p < .001) during their interactions with the robot. Parents showed similar results to their children.Interpretation:The humanoid robot received positive feedback from most children, though older children with CI showed less interest. Parents generally perceived the robot positively, but its usage declined due to a lack of updates and internet connection, as reported by both children and their families. This insight emphasizes the need for long-term studies on the acceptability of humanoid robots in home environments for CI children and their parents. Age appears to influence how CI children perceive interactions with the robot. Given that age and social factors can impact speech development post-implantation, early implantation followed by remote speech-language training with a robot could help address access challenges for families in desertification-affected areas.Conclusion:In conclusion, this study represents the initial phase in exploring the potential of a home-based humanoid robot for remote speech-language training for deaf children with CI. We identified that children accepted well the robot at home, and that age seems to influence their perception of it. Our focus is on young CI children, ensuring access to a variety of applications, maintaining robot personalization, and proposing regular updates to enhance home training functionalities.

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