# Autism Assisting Robots The NAO Robot Helps to Teach Children with Autism By Andrew Sztein | Published 2013-03-23 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nao-robot References: [mashable](http://mashable.com/2013/03/21/robot-autism/) & [aldebaran-robotics](http://www.aldebaran-robotics.com/en/Home/welcome.html?language=en-GB) Growing up with autism in an environment that doesn't understand the affliction can be really challenging, which is why the designers at Vanderbilt University created the NAO robot. Research into sufferers of autism have shown that children with the affliction have difficulty focusing and interacting with human educators in mixed environments. On the other hand, children with autism would be focused on inanimate objects and robotics for much longer than someone without autism. With that in mind, the NAO robot is packed with cameras, sensors and a powerful CPU to encourage social development. Unlike a human being that may get impatient or distracted by the other children's needs, the NAO robot will help teach [social interaction skills](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/avela-health) without any of those issues. The NAO robot also gets around the issue of long waiting lists for specialized education and learning environments for the autistic. The idea of the NAO robot, which gives off verbal cues to attract attention of autistic children is beautiful in its combination of complexity and simplicity. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 35% | Activity: 74% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [AI](https://www.trendhunter.com/ai) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Autism-teaching Robots:** The trend of using robots to teach children with autism is growing. - **Social Interaction Robots:** The trend of using robots to teach social interaction skills is on the rise. - **AI for Special Education:** The trend of using AI to assist in special education is gaining popularity. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Education:** The education industry has a disruptive innovation opportunity to integrate robots and AI to assist in special education. - **Robotics:** The robotics industry has a disruptive innovation opportunity to create robots specifically designed for teaching and assisting those with autism. - **Healthcare:** The healthcare industry has a disruptive innovation opportunity to explore the use of robots and AI in improving the lives of those with autism. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI-Based Children Companions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/robin-the-robot.md) - [Autism Support Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/social-story-creator.md) - [Educational Robotics](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aipowered-teaching-robot.md) - [Social Skills Trainers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-cognity-ai.md) - [AI-Integrated Autism Diagnostic Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/diagnostic-tool.md) - [Socially Adept Gaming Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gaming-robots.md) - [Humanoid Household Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/1x-neo-beta.md) - [AI Autism Support App](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-autism.md) - [AI Emotional Interface Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/feelbot.md)