A different starting point for every session.
The challenge you know
You've always adapted. Different materials, different topics, different approaches for every child. But one thing has never changed: the setup itself. One adult, one child, direct instruction. When a child doesn't respond to that dynamic, there's no alternative. Not because of effort or skill, but because nothing else has been available.
You've always tailored your sessions to what the child responds to: their interests, their favorite topics, the materials that work. Daisy lets you shape something that was never an option before: who is in the room. A presence the child sees as a peer, a reason to participate that comes from the child's own motivation, and a context where the interaction has purpose, not just a task to be completed.
The child opens up
Daisy is soft, playful, childlike. Children see a peer, not an instructor. They want to befriend it, take care of it, show it things. This creates a natural starting point for interaction, one built on the child's own curiosity, not on adult instruction.
When the interaction starts from that place, cooperation follows. Not because the child is being asked to comply, but because the child wants to engage.
The child observes and enters
With Daisy in the room, the therapist has a conversation partner. The therapist says hello to Daisy. Daisy says hello back. The therapist asks Daisy about the picture on the card. Daisy answers. A social exchange unfolds in front of the child, one that isn't directed at them.
The child watches. There's no pressure to perform. And gradually, they enter the conversation on their own terms. Not because they were asked to, but because they chose to join.
The child follows, or steps in
Daisy can go first. She follows the instruction, she attempts the task, she tries what the child hasn't tried yet. The child watches someone else take the first step.
Sometimes Daisy succeeds, and the child imitates. Sometimes Daisy tries and can't do it, and the child steps in to help. Either way, the child isn't facing the task alone. Someone went first, and now there's a reason to follow.
Each of these roles is powerful on its own.In practice though, they come together, and each one makes the next possible. Here's what that looks like.
The child meets Daisy.
The child doesn't see another adult with an agenda. The child sees a soft, clumsy creature, smaller than them, someone to take care of. A bond forms. Daisy is a friend.
Daisy doesn't want the sandwich either.
The therapist places a sandwich on the table. Daisy turns away. The child recognizes the feeling immediately: someone who understands. The problem isn't something to be fixed. It's something shared.
The therapist talks to Daisy about the sandwich.
The therapist and Daisy have a conversation. The child isn't being addressed. The child is watching two others discuss something familiar. The pressure is gone. The child starts listening, and joins in.
Daisy asks the child: should I try it?
The child is the advisor now. Not a patient being told what to do, but someone whose opinion matters. The child says yes.
Daisy tries the sandwich.
She reaches for it, but she can't do it. She's a robot. She gets disappointed. She turns to the child: "Can you try it for me? Tell me how it tastes."
The child picks up the sandwich.
Not because an adult said to. Because a friend asked for help.
This is one example. Practitioners use the same approach across speech therapy, behavioral goals, social skills development, and more. The social context Daisy creates is always the same: a meaningful situation where the child has a reason to act, not just a task to complete.
Every child is different. So is every challenge.
You know your cases better than anyone. If you're curious how a child-friendly social dynamic could work for a specific child or a specific goal, we'd like to hear about it. Tell us about a case, and let's think through it together.
Tell Us About a CaseDesigned for your practice.
Daisy is a soft, plush robot shaped like a flower. It speaks, plays music, expresses emotions, and moves its petals. You control everything through a tablet app, either live during a session or through scenarios you've built in advance. No programming or technical skills required.
Daisy
Soft, safe, and designed for the therapy room. Daisy is small enough for a child to hold, with no sharp edges or exposed electronics. It blinks, sleeps, and shows emotions through its face and petals, giving you a range of expressive responses to work with. Each reaction is triggered by you, never automatic.
Margarita App
A tablet app that puts you in charge during sessions. You can control the robot live, choosing what it says, which sound it plays, when the petals move, what emotion it shows, or prepare full session scenarios in advance and run them with a tap. You create the content based on your goals and each child's needs, no coding, no technical skills. The sessions you build become a reusable library that grows with your practice.
The ARRoW Protocol: from first engagement to peer interaction
Some children aren't ready for peer interaction yet. Putting them in a group before they can engage doesn't help. The ARRoW protocol gives you a structured path instead.
The child engages with Daisy.
You enter the interaction alongside Daisy.
A typically developing child joins.
You step back.
Daisy is removed; the child interacts independently.
Each stage builds on the previous one, and you decide when the child is ready to move forward.
Built on research.
Research findings
In controlled studies conducted at the University of Macedonia, children showed measurable improvement in social skills from baseline to final assessment, gains that were retained and generalized more than one month after the intervention ended.
Tested in practice.
Seen in practice
Recognized by the Greek Parliament
The system was presented at the Special Committee on Research and Technology, recognizing its contribution to the field of social assistive robotics.
Common questions
The team behind Daisy
Daisy was developed at the LIRES Lab, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, through years of academic research and field testing. The team brings together expertise in robotics, special education, software development, and business development.
The creation of a spinoff company is currently underway, with the goal of bringing this work from the lab into everyday practice, giving professionals a structured, evidence-informed tool they can rely on.
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Let's talk.
Whether you're exploring options for your center, planning a pilot, or simply want to learn more we'd like to hear from you.