Description
The overall aim of the project is to develop and implement an innovative model for development, ensuring children with development problems the possibility to play, on one hand for the sake of play itself (unstructured play) and on the other hand - for the sake of the play as a function for improvement of the motor skills and social contacts of these children (structured games). One of the specific aims of the project is, via introducing computer technologies for recognition of movements of different body parts, to adapt certain computer games to the requirements of children with motor and social problems. Another specific aim of the project is development of innovative methodologies for structured games for motor rehabilitation and social therapy, in which the therapist is aided by computerized and robotic technologies. The expected results from the project are ensuring the right of children with development problems or disabilities to play and improve their motor abilities and social inclusion for entertaining and innovative games; capacity building of all project team members and staff of daily centres for children with disabilities in using computerized and robotic technologies aiming at assisting their own therapeutic work; parents of children with development problems or disabilities will have the possibility to be co-therapists, advised by professionals. Representatives of stakeholders will be informed periodically on the progress of the project. The donor project partner provides professional and research expertise on the research field. The partnership will achieve innovative research methodologies and algorithms aimed to assist children with development problems and disabilities to improve their physical condition and social development.
Summary of project results
During the project we organized 7 bilateral visits, developed 16 joint publications, 1 research report , 15 software programmes jointly developed, held 2 joint research seminars and 11 working meetings (6 out of which were virtual); implemented 13 joint research experiments; 10 participants in total from the project team attended the concluding research seminar held in the donor project partner institution. 40 in total media films and 18 publications in media contributed to better information and publicity of project activities. The main final results from the project are: 1. Proposed, developed and tested by experiments is an innovative model for development by games of motor and social skills of children with special needs, supported and motivated by assistive intelligent sensor, computerized and robotic technologies. It was submitted for a patent. 2. New knowledge in medical-social and psycho-pedagogical sciences - enrich the methods for working with children with disorders and special needs. 3. New scientific and applied technical knowledge in the field of robotic systems and integrating them with innovative sensors and computer technology. 4. Proposed, developed and tested by experiments is an innovative model for development by games of motor and social skills of children with special needs, supported and motivated by assistive intelligent sensor, computerized and robotic technologies. 5. New knowledge in medical-social and psycho-pedagogical sciences - enrich the methods for working with children with disorders and special needs. 6. New scientific and applied technical knowledge in the field of robotic systems and integrating them with innovative sensors and computer technology. 7. Statistical analysis of the results of experiments for any particular game - at least 8 of the newly created games are fun and useful for children with special needs in the general opinion of teachers participating in the poll on global criterion “Success of the game" 8. Proposed a new model for analysis and evaluation in the process of developing games, described in a scientific publication 9. Cooperation between scientists - engineers, doctors, speech therapists, psychologists and special educators who have never had common scientific interests was established. 10. An additional result of the project is that through the proposed play children perceive and gain experience on how to use modern computerized and robotic technologies that will define socially significant behaviour in the future.
Summary of bilateral results
7 bilateral visits in total were held (3 in BG and 4 in Norway), 16 joint publications published, 1 research report presented by a researcher from the donor project partner (University of Stavanger), 15 software programmes jointly developed, 2 joint research seminars held, 11 working meetings held, 6 out of which were virtual; 13 joint research experiments implemented with participation of Norwegian researchers from the donor project partner; 10 participants in total from the project team attended the concluding research seminar held in the donor project partner institution. 40 in total media films and publications in media and social networks (18 publications in media) contributed to better information and publicity of project activities. Research equipment was bought to implement the project activities.