Design of a multimodal device to improve well-being of autistic workers interacting with collaborative robots

Several studies report that people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have low employment rates and major difficulties in maintaining occupation (Hendricks, 2010). Adopting smart and interactive technology, promoted by Industry 4.0, can be a valid solution to improve social inclusion in the workplace. The present work describes the design and development process of the multimodal device (A)MICO (acronym for 'A Multimodal device to improve inclusive Interaction between Cobot and Operator'), aimed to improve the user experience of ASD workers interacting with collaborative robots (cobots) in production lines. (A)MICO proposes a new intuitive mode of communication in which information about the cobot activity is transferred through acoustic and visual feedback. Lights and sounds are designed to make the user aware of the cobot's activity and gain control of the situation. To define the optimal feedback configuration, a co-design process has been performed involving five users with high functioning autism (HFA). The inclusion of users with HFA in the design process allows to analyse the system from different perspectives and increase the acceptance of the final product (Francis et al., 2009). In addition, (A)MICO is designed to be integrated into a pre-existing cobot system and its feedback can be customized making job tasks more human-friendly and accessible to all. To achieve this purpose, Design for All principles were taken into consideration since the preliminary stages of the study, in order to develop a device that could represent a valuable aid in improving the well-being and productivity for both neurotypical and neurodiverse users.