24 December 2011 Last updated at 11:36

In pictures: Robot teaches autistic children

The University of Hertfordshire wants to raise £1m to pay for research into the effectiveness of its work with robots to teach social skills to autistic children.

Kaspar is designed with a simple profile to be welcoming to children confused by too much detail.

Researchers control the range of poses the robot can make for children to respond to.

A remote control shows all the moods the robot can express at the touch of a button, but sensors allow children to get an immediate response as well.

The robot invites children to play or to examine the features under a researcher's control.

And it is flexible enough to demonstrate a wide range of understandable gestures and actions.

"Ouch! That hurt" - the robot can speak so the child knows the reaction that certain actions bring.

Beds, Herts & Bucks

In pictures: Robot teaches autistic children

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