2019 - Case 6 - OPSORO: Social robot 'Ono' reads books to children.
Channel: Jelle Saldien
Date: 22/01/2023

Social robot 'Ono' reads books to children. 

Ono, a social robot that has already been used for therapies for autistic children, has recently become even more social and expressive. Industrial Design students of Ghent University campus Kortrijk further developed Ono so that the robot can read stories to young children and preschoolers. Ono was already able to express emotions with his face, but with the new reading function, the robot can translate an audio fragment into the right expressive facial expressions so that the robot seems to really speak the text. The robot can now also move its neck, with which it can look around using a camera and interact with the children it speaks to. By using the robot in education and libraries, the students hope not only to be able to inspire children with the technology, but also to expand reading sessions and promote books