The Use of the Social Robot NAO in Medical Settings: How To Facilitate Interactions between Healthcare Professionals and Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Federico Biagi^1*Cristina Iani²Luigi Biagiotti¹

• ¹Universita degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia Dipartimento di Ingegneria Enzo Ferrari, Modena, Italy
• ²Universita degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia Facolta di Medicina e Chirurgia, Modena, Italy

This study investigates how to facilitate the use of the social robot NAO in medical settings to support interactions with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The objective was to develop and evaluate intuitive control methods that enable healthcare professionals to easily integrate the robot into clinical practice. Two control modes were designed: Puppet mode, where clinicians manually operate the robot via a graphical console, and Assistant mode, where a Large Language Model translates clinicians' spoken requests into robot actions and dialogue. Twenty-three doctors evaluated both modes through video demonstrations and com-pleted questionnaires assessing usability, usefulness, and ethical acceptability. Results showed that both modes were considered effective and user-friendly, with Assistant mode perceived as more intuitive and adaptable, while Puppet mode was judged slightly more reassuring for patients and somewhat more appropriate in terms of robot actions. Overall, both approaches were positively received, but Assistant mode emerged as the preferred option for integration into clinical workflows due to its perceived simplicity and flexibility. The findings highlight clinicians' positive perceptions of two novel control modes that emphasize NAO's potential to support patient engagement and stress reduction, which warrants further empirical validation with children in clinical trials.