PlanToys' Build-a-Robot, featuring a modern design aesthetic, recieved 2011 Good Design Award in the Children's Products category. The toy was designed specifically to address the needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) though it appeals to children of all ages. The primary function addresses the need to identify emotions. Secondary functions include sensory issues and fine motor skills. The toy is manufactured with organic, kiln-dried, reclaimed rubber wood, water-based dyes and non-formaldehyde glue in a factory that is powered by biomass and solar energy. Packaging is recycled paper and soy ink. Four interchangeable, geometric-shaped heads featuring the emotions of happiness, sadness, anger and surprise feature a range of textures to address sensory issues.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 110 children in the U.S. have ASD, a developmental disorder that causes significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. A recent study, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, from the Yale Child Study Center and George Washington University found that 2.6 percent of all children aged 7 to 12 in Goyang, South Korea had some form of ASD. This rate, of 1 in 38 children, is more than twice the rate previously reported in developed countries.
Many children with ASD have difficulty identifying emotions, so that became a primary goal of Build-a-Robot. The four heads showing happiness, sadness, anger and surprise can be used to teach children to identify and express these emotions. To address the sensory issues that are also common to children with ASD, the heads feature textures from soft felt on the top of the sad head to raised bumps on the angry head. An element of sound is incorporated into the surprised head when the button is depressed and a squeaking sound is emitted. To strengthen fine motor skills, the heads are attached with snap connectors. The legs are attached with screw connectors allowing the robot to sit or stand. The arms are bendable.
Parents of children with ASD stressed the importance of designing a toy that met the needs of their children without looking like a special needs toy. Product designer Laura Chun Urquiaga created the robot character based on the appeal of robots to both girls and boys in popular culture from R2-D2 in Star Wars to Pixar's Wall-E. The Build-a-Robot is a toy that appeals to all children, whether they have ASD or not.
Chun Urquiaga, a former photojournalist, formed a team of experts in ASD, ranging from occupational therapists and parents of children with ASD to researchers and special education teachers. She was inspired to create the toy after documenting a boy with ASD during her work as a photojournalist.