미취학 아동용 로봇의 디자인과 연령별 선호도에 대한 고찰 -동물형과 인간형을 중심으로 = A Study on Robot Design and Age-Specific Preferences for Preschool Children - Focusing on Animal-Shaped and Humanoid Forms

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of different robot types for preschool children by examining the educational characteristics of animal-shaped and humanoid robots, and to present robot design guidelines according to age-specific developmental stages.
The research methodology involved a systematic literature review of major prior studies in the field of child-robot interaction from 2007 to 2024. The theoretical background of robots for preschool children was examined, analyzing child developmental characteristics and robot interaction, HRI theory, and robot morphology and trust theory.
Subsequently, domestic and international cases of animal-shaped and humanoid robots were analyzed, age-specific robot type preferences were compared, and comprehensive evaluations by type and age-specific design guidelines were derived.
The main research findings revealed that animal-shaped robots demonstrated superiority in terms of accessibility and emotional stability, showing particular effectiveness in forming instinctive intimacy and stress relief during the 2-3 year infant period. In contrast, humanoid robots showed strengths in educational effectiveness, sustainability, and versatility, effectively supporting language and cognitive development in complex social interactions and structured learning environments after ages 6-7.
Age-specific preference analysis confirmed that ages 4-5 represent a critical transition period from animal-shaped to humanoid robots.
Based on this analysis, age-specific robot design guidelines were presented. Animal-shaped robots prioritizing safety and simplicity were found suitable for ages 2-3, a hybrid approach emphasizing familiarity and responsiveness for ages 4-5, and humanoid robots focusing on learning and sociality for ages 6-7 and above. This study provides a theoretical foundation for robots to be utilized as educational support tools that consider children's developmental stages in future educational environments.