Educational Robots in Public Libraries : An Innovative Approach to Early Reading Literacy Development

Abstract

This article presents the LeseNAO (English: ReadingNAO) project by RoboticLab Telematics at TH Wildau as an open-source initiative for the use of a reading robot in public libraries and elementary schools. The project demonstrates how humanoid robots can promote early reading skills. Based on a case study from 2023 describing the successful implementation of the project in several public libraries in Germany, the general concept, a practical setup, and implementation details as well as requirements for libraries and schools interested in participating are outlined. The goal is to inspire libraries and schools to try out this approach themselves and develop further ideas for the use of educational robots.