The NAO Robot can interact with in a way that grownups sometimes can’t. For many kids, social interaction is incredibly difficult--but not with robots. That’s because robots are more predictable and require the children to take in less external stimuli than with a human. And so researchers have offered up various robot models to interact with on the autism spectrum. Up until now, my favorite was the tiny yellow Keepon robot (it’s really just a dancing blob that can keep a beat). But the NAO robot might now take the top spot. We first covered the NAO robot, which has actually been around for about half a decade, in April, when Vanderbilt researchers discussed their work with the robot and children. And now, after a year of beta testing, it’s available commercially to schools who want to use NAO as a confidence and skill-building tool for children.Read Full Story