Computer avatar and robotics aided rehabilitation for patients with social disorders

Researchers have found that individuals suffering from social disorders such as schizophrenia or social phobia could benefit from humanoid robotics and computer avatar aided rehabilitation. The technology is based on the theory of similarity, which suggests that it is easier to interact socially with someone who looks similar to ourselves or behaves in the same way. The results of the study were published recently in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Researchers from the University of Bristol (UK), in collaboration with researchers at the Universities of Exeter (UK), Montpellier (France) and Naples Federico II (Italy), developed a robot or...