China's first humanoid robot for diagnosis and treatment of autism has opened up new possibilities for autism rehabilitation and long-term care.
More than 13 million people in China are living with autism. Difficulties in screening, intervention, and rehabilitation have remained urgent challenges for their families.
The humanoid robot is capable of precisely capturing and interpreting subtle signals from the human brain, and translating them into its coordinated movements.
It combines brain-computer interface technology with humanoid robotics to support early screening and educational intervention for children with autism, and it enables more natural and varied interactions, which help children with autism feel more comfortable and engaged, said Kong Xiangzeng, executive dean of the Artificial Intelligence research institute under the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fuzhou City of east China's Fujian Province.
"Brain signals are millions of times weaker than mobile phone signals. Blinking and heartbeat can also interfere, making them difficult to separate. Our team uses non-invasive, high-precision EEG technology to capture these weak signals without surgery," said Zhang Zhongji, assistant researcher with the institute.
Control algorithms independently developed by the research team can filter out interferences in real time, identify specific brainwave patterns and accurately translate them into control commands for the robot.
Healthcare specialists say early screening and rehabilitation are crucial for people with autism, yet current approaches often lack objective data.
Through "mind-based interactions" with children, the robot converts attention levels and motor imagery into measurable data, making screening more precise and rehabilitation more scientific and efficient.
At present, the project has received support from 11 national key research programs, with a complete technology chain and full independent intellectual property rights.
The robot has already been put into use and is now being applied in collaboration with hospitals and autism rehabilitation centers.
"When a child struggles to respond to certain questions, the robot can guide them more flexibly and quickly toward the correct answer. It also provides therapists with precise baseline data, making it easier for them to work together with the parents to develop personalized treatment plans for the child's next stage of therapy," said Kong.
The team says the humanoid robot platform will continue to expand beyond autism rehabilitation.
In the future, it is expected to support active rehabilitation for patients with stroke, spinal cord injuries, and other motor impairments, helping more people with neurological disorders regain everyday functional abilities.
China's first humanoid robot for autism treatment offers new possibilities for rehabilitation
Iran has received U.S. feedback on its latest peace proposal through Pakistani mediators, and talks between the two sides are still underway, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday.
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Baghaei said that although the United States had publicly rejected Iran's 14-point peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict, Tehran had still received revisions and concerns through mediator Pakistan.
Such dialogue is continuing through the mediator, he said, stressing that although Iran does not trust the United States, it is still participating in the negotiations based on national interests.
Baghaei said that Iran has submitted its response to U.S. revisions to the conflict resolution plan.
"We approach every diplomatic process with deep distrust and serious skepticism in order to safeguard the national interests of Iran. Iran is aware that, given the United States' track record of undermining negotiations, it may repeat the same actions at any moment," Baghaei said.
Baghaei also said the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz stems from military actions launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as what he described as violations of international law by the two countries.
Iran has taken relevant measures to ensure safety of navigation in the region, he said, adding that communication between Iran and Oman over issues related to the Strait of Hormuz is ongoing.
Baghaei said Iran harbors no hostility toward any country in the Middle East and called on all parties to remain vigilant against attempts by external forces to create division in the region.
Responding to repeated U.S. threats that military action against Iran could resume if no agreement is reached, Baghaei said threats and pressure have long been Washington's standard approach, but such tactics would not work on Iran.
He said Iran would continue advancing negotiations while closely monitoring developments and preparing for all possible scenarios.
Baghaei stressed that Iran would not abandon the rights granted to it under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and that the country is currently focused on efforts to end the conflict.
Also on Monday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing sources close to the Iranian negotiating team, said that Tehran had handed over its newest 14-point proposed plan for ending the war with the United States to Pakistan.
Pakistan will convey the plan to the United States, the report said.
The new proposal was submitted after Tehran revised its earlier 14-point draft in response to a recent U.S. proposal, the sources added.
According to the sources, Iran's new draft focuses on negotiations to end the war, as well as on "trust-building" measures.
In a separate report on Monday, Tasnim quoted another source close to the Iranian negotiating team as saying that, unlike previous U.S. drafts, Washington had agreed in its latest proposal to waive sanctions on Iranian oil during the negotiation period.
On the same day, however, a U.S. official said claims by the Iranian side that the U.S. had agreed to lift sanctions during the negotiations were false.
Iran, the United States and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that started with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities on Feb 28.
Following the truce, Iranian and U.S. delegations held one round of peace talks in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which failed to yield an agreement.
Over the past weeks, the two sides have reportedly exchanged several proposed plans outlining conditions for ending the conflict through Pakistan.
Iran's foreign ministry says talks with US still underway
