Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), based on already well-researched Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), has been under vigorous scrutiny since recent developments in robot technology. Robots may be more successful in establishing common ground in project-based education or foreign language learning for children than in traditional media. Backed by its strong IT environment and advances in robot technology, Korea has developed the world's first available e-Learning home robot. This has demonstrated the potential for robots to be used as a new educational media -robot-learning, referred to as 'r-Learning'. Robot technology is expected to become more interactive and user-friendly than computers. Also, robots can exhibit various forms of communication such as gestures, motions and facial expressions. This study compared the effects of non-computer based (NCB) media (using a book with audiotape) and Web-Based Instruction (WBI), with the effects of Home Robot-Assisted Learning (HRL) for children. The robot gestured and spoke in English, and children could touch its monitor if it did not recognize their voice command. Compared to other learning programs, the HRL was superior in promoting and improving children's concentration, interest, and academic achievement. In addition, the children felt that a home robot was friendlier than other types of instructional media. The HRL group had longer concentration spans than the other groups, and the p-value demonstrated a significant difference in concentration among the groups. In regard to the children's interest in learning, the HRL group showed the highest level of interest, the NCB group and the WBI group came next in order. Also, academic achievement was the highest in the HRL group, followed by the WBI group and the NCB group respectively. However, a significant difference was also found in the children's academic achievement among the groups. These results suggest that home robots are more effective as regards children's learning concentration, learning interest and academic achievement than other types of instructional media (such as: books with audiotape and WBI) for English as a foreign language.

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Korea, with the world's top class infrastructure in IT, has entered in full scale, the experimental phase of e-Learning, and speedily extended to even m-Learning. Backed by its IT environment and advances in Robot technology, Korea developed the world's first available e-Learning home robot and demonstrated the prospect of robots as a new educational media. This study compared the effects of traditional media-assisted learning and Web-based Instruction(WBI), with the effects of Home Robot-assisted learning, which automatically updates e-contents and software through wireless network. The results showed that children felt a home robot was friendlier than other media assisted learning programs. Compared to other learning programs, the home robot was superior in promoting and improving students' concentration, interest, and academic achievement.

Participating in a play is one of integral curriculum for young children at nurseries and kindergartens. At the same time, it is not very easy to successfully run and manage a play for young children due to their low age and immaturity. We are exploring the use of a robot and augmented reality (AR) technology to assist the nursery teachers in hopes to alleviate the difficult and complicated task of running the play, and also as a way to increase the learning effect by promoting the concentration and immersion (by the presence of the robot and novelty of the augmented display) [1, 2, 3]. We have devised a semiautonomous remote-controlled projector robot with the capabilities of background projection and control, generating the synthesized augmented view, camera/movement control, producing story narration and various special effects (See Figure 1). We have recently deployed the robot assistant for a play ('Three Little Pigs') at an actual nursery to observe and investigate various aspects of human robot interaction. For instance, the robot interacts with the actors on stage, leading and guiding them by showing (with small display on the robot) the synthesized augmented view, script guidance, and putting forth and changing the backdrop projection. It also assumes the role of the "camera man" and may instigate minute interplay with the actor as it zooms in and out on actors (by remote control). Our initial observation indicated that the use of the robot and AR indeed exhibited very high potential in drawing the attention of the children and enhancing the educational effect, but required the right amount of autonomy and external control and an intuitive interface.

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