Inclusive Play Through Robotic Toys and Accessible Design: A Child-Centered Approach

This study explores the integration of modular robots into children's play to promote inclusion and participation, particularly for children with disabilities. Robotics fosters accessibility, enabling children to interact autonomously and collaboratively, overcoming physical and social barriers. However, designing robots specifically for play, rather than education or therapy, remains underexplored. The FROB (Family of ROBots) two-year project (2023-2025) is implemented in inclusive educational settings with preschool and primary school children. Using a spiral development methodology and a child-centered experimental methodology with multiple case studies, the project examined children's interactions with the designed robots in different play scenarios. This contribution presents the second phase of the project, focusing on the initial experimental cycle with systematic observations of children's interactions. Key issues emerged regarding robotic functionality and scenario accessibility, leading to adjustments of robot modules, materials, and play environments. Findings suggest that robots can foster spontaneous, cooperative play and enhance peer interaction. The approach, merging robotic innovation with pedagogical insight, offers valuable perspectives for designing inclusive play tools and future research.