This protection is especially important to the team as they continue their long-term partnership with Bancroft, a nonprofit serving individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as those in need of neurological rehabilitation. 

For over two years, Bancroft staff has utilized the robot in interactions with residents. 

“The robot uses AI for selecting and running activities that have been developed together with Bancroft’s staff and psychologists and that specifically target certain skills,” Balduccini says. 

These activities might be anything from matching games used to improve memory, to simulations of trips to McDonald’s, to work on life skills. The residents interact via buttons on the robot’s tablet, encouraging movement and object identification along the way. 

“In our case, the robot is a living, breathing component of a larger ecosystem made up of databases collecting information about the patients — likes, dislikes, what worked during a session and what didn’t work — so next time, it can use that information to tailor the session better,” Balduccini says. 

Because of the close proximity to the residents and the use of AI, vulnerabilities such as those addressed by Shapovalov’s work pose a danger to patients’ well-being if left neglected. 

“If someone were to take over the robot like we were able to do, they could physically hurt people, hit them, or rig it to make it explode, or they could simply steal their information and their pictures,” Shapovalov adds.

The team is currently working on publishing a paper with their findings and solutions. Meanwhile, the next phase of the Bancroft partnership includes introducing Iggy to school-aged children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“They’re so excited to see the robot, and we see a lot of possibilities, but it’s a whole new challenge for us,” Balduccini says.