C.J., an 8-year-old boy with autism, lives in an imaginary world of dinosaurs. He spends every lunch and recess alone because he has no friends and so plays with dinosaur games or puzzles. However, with the aid of a 2-foot tall robot named KIWI, his life is about to change.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, a short film about autism, robots, and dinosaurs, which premiered at the first AutFest 2017 International Autism Film Festival. AUCD member Dr. Larry Yin, director of the USC UCEDD, consulted on this short film developed in partnership with the Autism Society of America and the University of Southern California. The short film is a glimpse at life in the near future, based on cutting edge research from Professor Maja Matarić and the USC Viterbi Interaction Lab.