The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiles recent Micro Spark project Character Therapy from Interbots, LLC. They’re uisng Popchilla, an interactive therapeutic robot, to engage children at the Autism Center of Pittsburgh.

Photo Credit: Matt Freed/Post-Gazette photo

Ms. Patel said her group didn’t set out initially to build a robot for use by children with autism.

“It was designed as a toy version of the higher-end robots we make,” she said. “But the more it was shown to the public, the more reaction we got that we should be looking into using it for autism therapy.”

Now with the help of a Micro Spark award and strong community partners, Interbots is developing plans to turn Popchilla into a mass-market product to help treat autism spectrum disorders in care centers across the country.

Read the whole story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Congratulations Interbots, AutismLink, & the Autism Center of Pittsburgh on the great work!