Emotonaut
Tony Vu
Swinburne University of Technology
Emotonaut is a social toy that teaches young autistic children (Aged 5 - 8 years old) complex emotions and their relationship to the body. Nuanced emotions are often neglected by educators and parents, making it difficult for autistic children to understand the multifaceted emotions of other children and how to deal with their often bubbling feelings. EmotoNaut provides autistic children with a fun, tactile experience that paediatricians can utilise to streamline the educational process. Children are encouraged to have nuanced conversations around emotions; the visual output of the toy creates an aid to learning through a clear depiction. EmotoNaut is equipped with 5 core emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear, which can all be mixed to create nuanced feelings. The character’s body also lights up in response to emotions, illustrating how feelings influence different parts of the body.