otto

A young boy leaning over a table, looking at a dome-shaped electronic device with blue light, connected to circuit boards, in a classroom or workspace setting.

Otto is an AI powered smart robot prototype, designed to aid children with autism, created for Microsoft. 2016 BSc. Product Design Studio Project.

The group brief set by Microsoft was to design and build a product around conversational user interfaces. Otto was designed to help tackle the problem that parents face when trying to engage with Autistic children in stressful situations. There were 2 working prototypes made, the first was through the university module and the second advancement was for the summer exhibition at Microsoft's Design Expo.

The key to this project was consistently working with the users, gaining knowledge and feedback from children and parents on our progress, and carrying out further extensive research with help from Professor Annalu Waller OBE, as well as teachers from local primary schools and the National Autistic Society of Scotland, alongside fieldwork at Microsoft Research in Cambridge.

Using an array of sensors (motion, sound, frequency, ambient, light, pressure and heart rate), the concept idea was for Otto to understand the mood of a child, and come 'alive' when it detects that they're feeling stressed. It would open up and speak to them using the playful CUI, in order to engage and suggest activities to help calm them down. Using the sensors, it would then know when they're at a lower level of stress, and could refer back to the parent via text to suggest ways for them to then engage with the child, thus bridging the gap.

Otto was taken forward to the Microsoft Design Expo in Seattle, 2016, where we were awarded for having the most Inclusively designed product.

overview

A close-up of a modern robotic vacuum cleaner with blue LED lights and a white dome-shaped cover.
A small robot made of cardboard with a paper face displaying two eyes, sitting on a table with various pens and papers in the background.

The very initial ideas for Otto came about from creating some cardboard 'robots' aimed at children; akin to smart speakers like Amazon Alex, but with much more personality. We then developed further, and began playing with the electronics and making decisions on exactly what Otto would do.

early Prototyping

A table with arts and crafts supplies, including a paper mache project with a smiley face, notebooks, pens, paper, and various cardboard pieces.
A small prototype device on a desk with glowing blue lights, connected to various wires and components, surrounded by notes and tools in a workshop or laboratory setting.
A tabletop with a homemade volcano model made from cardboard, some paper, and taped edges, emitting blue light from the base. There are various papers, tiny tools, and art supplies scattered around. In the background, several people are seated at tables, appearing to be in a classroom or workshop setting.

Between the six of us, a lot of research and experimentation went into the form and shape of the product so here's a rundown of why we made certain decisions:

  • It's dome shape was inspired by existing sensory toys for autistic children, which allows them to place their hands on it in an natural way.

  • It has two LED lights which are symbolic of eyes, but we limited the human like features as to not make it to jarring for children.

  • Likewise, the voice is robotic but flowing; not too jarring but also not too human-like, which in our tests made children feel uncomfortable.

  • The dome is soft touch and textured to appeal to autistic children and their sensory needs, but likewise we made the transition from hard wood to 3D printed plastic on the base of later prototypes to make it safer. 

A young boy is sitting at a wooden table, pressing down on a white balloon with both hands. A panda stuffed animal is on the boy's lap. There are other people sitting in the background on a couch, with one person holding a drink and another holding a remote. On the table, there are various items including a smartphone, papers, a receipt, and a paper bag.
Close-up of a wooden and white plastic or ceramic object on a metal work surface. People and equipment are visible in the background.
Person shaping a large white dome-shaped object with their hands, sitting at a blue table.
A white, dome-shaped object with a shiny surface on a blue base, placed on a round wooden platform, with a blue background and an electrical cord connected to the device.

When we had the first physical prototype complete, we focussed on the programming. These photos show an example of how Otto would light up in a  traffic light system; like what is commonly used when caring for autistic children to judge and manage their mood. We focused on colours, movements and words, making refined choices to ensure that Otto was as friendly and functional as possible with children.

Below, you can see a CAD mock-up of the base. This was used for the second prototype which we printed from soft touch plastic. You can see where the arms would hold the servomotor to tilt it open; there was also adequate room built in for all of the electronics and wiring, which would later be sealed.

High Fidelity Prototyping

A spherical object with a smooth, shiny white surface resting on a wooden surface.
A spherical lamp with a frosted glass surface emitting a soft yellow glow, placed on a round wooden base on a wooden surface.
A glowing, hemispherical lamp emitting a soft greenish light, placed on a wooden surface.
Close-up of a spherical lamp with a smooth, white, frosted glass surface on a wooden table.
A 3D CAD model of a circular base with two rectangular vertical supports and a rectangular slot in the middle, viewed in Fusion 360 software.

Otto was presented at the Microsoft Design Expo in 2016 and was awarded for inclusivity in design. In the years after, we wrote up our research paper which was later published at the INTERACT 2023 conference on Human-Computer Interaction.

Finish

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