From Abstract to Tangible: A Framework for Child-Comprehensible Robot Co-Design Through Play

Abstract

Participatory design offers a way to involve children in robot design, but many robot design concepts, such as autonomy, responsiveness, and emotional expression, remain difficult for young children to evaluate. This challenge is especially pronounced for preoperational-stage children, who rely on concrete perceptual experience rather than abstract reasoning. To address this gap, we present a framework for translating abstract robot design requirements into child-accessible design decisions. Grounded in developmental psychology, embodied cognition, and participatory design theory, the framework consists of three steps: identifying relevant design dimensions, translating them into concrete perceptual representations, and calibrating the activity structure to reduce cognitive load while preserving child agency. We demonstrate the framework through Build-a-Robot, a game-based participatory design activity for children aged 4-7 in the context of designing a reading companion robot. A case study with 14 children shows how the framework supported participation, sustained engagement, and meaningful preference expression, while also revealing practical considerations for implementation. This work contributes a structured approach for abstract-to-concrete translation in child-robot design and offers guidance for developing participatory design tools for young children.