Unlocking Mechanical Minds: using robots to help diagnose autism

Kids’ interactions with talking robots—which behave in a standardized, bias-free manner—could reveal telltale signs in very young children destined to develop autism. University of Minnesota researchers have collected baseline data on robots’ interactions with 2- to 4-year-olds. They hope to use this data to predict who will develop autism, unlocking the door to countless precious minds.