Modular web platform for early intervention therapies for patients with autism, assisted by the NAO robot
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17979/ja-cea.2026.47.13870Keywords:
ADS, Socially Assistive Robotics , Human-robot interaction, Adaptive difficulty control, Web-based teleoperation interfaceAbstract
This article presents the design and development of a support web application aimed at optimising the use of the NAO humanoid robot in early intervention therapies for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To overcome the limitations of traditional programming, a decoupled monorepo architecture is proposed, based on Next.js, Node.js and Flask. The system stands out for integrating an adaptive engine that dynamically adjusts the difficulty level for the therapy (between 3 and 9 stimuli) based on the patient’s real time performance. It also incorporates a mechanism to lock the interface whilst the robot is speaking to promote active listening and prevent impulsivity. The platform enables the longitudinal recording of interaction data and, through simplified deployment with Docker, facilitates its adoption by clinical staff without a technical background, bridging the gap between the potential of Socially Assistive Robotics and its application in real-world clinical practice.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ana Gómez-Espinosa, José Carlos Moreno-Úbeda, José Luis Blanco-Claraco
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