Designing an Interactive Storytelling System for Children using a Smart Toy Design of a prototype to investigate the effect of emotional behaviour of a toy on children's storytelling

The changing society demands different skills than in the past, among which creativity. Children can develop creativity through storytelling using toys. The aim of this research was to investigate how to incorporate a smart toy in an interactive storytelling system for children. In addition, it tested the influence of the toy’s emotional behaviour on children’s storytelling. Throughout the research a prototype combining a robot (the main character), a tablet, a play mat, objects and figures was designed. The final study compared two conditions: one in which the robot showed emotions (condition E) and one in which it did not (condition NE). Quantitative analysis did not show any influence of the robot’s emotions on the quality of the stories. However, qualitative analysis did. In condition NE children only described the robot being happy, whereas they used multiple emotions in condition E. In condition E children tended to better link emotions to occurring actions. Also, they summarised stories more often from a third person perspective, indicating they perceived the robot more as an autonomous character. Overall, the research indicates the prototype can be used as a starting point. It is recommended to improve the prototype and execute a new follow-up study.