Robot-Mediated Activities for Kindergarten Education

The "Robot-Mediated Activities for Kindergarten Education" project is a joint research initiative involving H²T (High Performance Humanoid Technologies), AI4LT (Artificial Intelligence for Language Technologies), ITAS (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis), SARAI (Social Assistive Robotics with Artificial Intelligence), and the Kita KinderUniversum. This work is part of the Real-World Lab – Robotics AI and is funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and Art (MWK) through the state's digitalization strategy digital ∂does-not-exist.bw The project focuses on designing human-robot interactions to enhance phonological awareness in young children through robot-mediated educational games. Utilizing the humanoid robot Pepper, interactive activities such as sound recognition and rhyme training are developed and evaluated to support early language acquisition. The project, running from early 2023 to the end of 2025, follows a child-centered approach, ensuring developmentally-appropriate and valuable learning experiences.Research findings from this initiative have been presented in several academic papers, including studies on preschoolers perception of robots ([1] Rudenko et al paper is also on the website (link tbd), and a survey discussing the child factor in child–robot interaction ([2] Rudenko et al (link tbd)).

Currently, a new research paper based on the latest findings is being prepared and is expected to be submitted by the end of March 2025. The latest insights include the real-world deployment of the "Sound Game" activity in the kindergarten, where Pepper supports kindergarten children in practicing phonological awareness in a natural learning environment