Popchilla might look like an adorable plaything, but it’s way more than that. It’s a special tool that can be controlled by parents or therapists to help interact with autistic children.
Toy robots can bring out the kid in anyone, but children with autism are especially mesmerized by them. Now a startup called Interbots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has developed a 10-inch tall robot named Popchilla that is designed specifically for kids with autism spectrum disorder. “Some autistic children are more willing to interact with robotic devices than humans. We want to use Popchilla to help those children with their social skills and interacting with real people,” says Interbots Chief Technical Officer Michael Knight.