2024-10-03 22:30:34
(CNN) –– When children suffer from a chronic illness and are unable to attend school, it’s not just the condition itself that is debilitating: separation from class and friends can also take its toll.
For young people in long-term care or struggling with mental health issues, Norwegian company No Isolation has developed the AV1 robot, which can take the child’s place in the classroom by acting as eyes, ears and voice and helping them stay in contact with his children classmates.
The AV1 looks like a simplified version of a human head and torso. It can rotate 360 degrees and is equipped with a camera, microphone and speaker. Teachers place it on a desk in the classroom and the student controls it remotely using an app, for which he or she is given a unique password.
“They can tap or swipe the screen to see different corners of the classroom,” said Florence Salisbury, marketing director at No Isolation. The student can talk to the teacher or classmates through the speaker, and the app has a “raise hand” option that flashes a light on the robot’s head. They can also select the emojis that will appear in the robot’s eyes.
Salisbury says there are 3,000 active AV1 units in 17 countries, mostly in the UK and Germany, where more than 1,000 robots are in operation.
In the UK, schools can rent the AV1 for around £150 (US$200) a month, or opt for a one-off purchase for £3,700 (just under US$4,960), with an additional services package of £ 1 780 (approximately US). $1,045) per year.
Salisbury says perhaps the robot’s greatest advantage is its ability to maintain social bonds. He shared the story of a 15-year-old student from Warwickshire, England, who uses AV1 and whose friends take the robot to lunch with them, keeping him included in their social circle.
“During an extended absence, where classmates may not see their friend for an extended period of time, this connection to school truly becomes a lifeline for that student, especially those with a medical condition.” , Salisbury said.
According to the most recent government statistics, more than 19% of students in England they were persistently absent in autumn 2023/24 and 7.8% of cases were due to illness. This is even higher than pre-pandemic levels.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, remote learning became the norm, but when students returned to school, it was no longer an option for many. AV1 was launched before the pandemic, but some schools they reported using robots to help students who they had difficulty reintegrating into the school environment.
The UK’s Chartwell Cancer Trust has a supply of 25 AV1 robots which it supplies to children with serious illnesses. Founding trustee Michael Douglas told CNN that the robots allow children to stay engaged in their education even while in intensive care. “Parents love them and they really make a difference,” she said. “They make the child matter.”
But he acknowledged that there could be administrative challenges related to its use and that “bureaucracy can be a real problem” when trying to introduce the AV1 system into schools or hospitals.
He added that some schools may also struggle to maintain the technical infrastructure needed for successful operation, due to weaknesses in WiFi or mobile signal.
In June, research published in the journal Frontiers of digital healthwhich examined the use of the AV1 in Germany and the OriHime avatar robot in Japan, found that the technologies “have great potential for children to stay connected both socially and educationally.”
However, he added that structures need to be created to ensure equal access to avatar technologies and that training sessions for teachers on the technical and social aspects of robots are important for a successful implementation.
Last August, No Isolation launched AV1 Academy, a library of training materials and resources aimed at improving the use of robots.
According to Salisbury, the AV1 is designed with strong privacy features. No personal data is collected and the application prevents taking screenshots or recordings. Encryption protects live streaming and only one device can be connected at a time; The robot’s head and eyes light up to indicate it is in use.
There are other avatar robots on the market, and some, like VGo and Buddy, have wheels and can move around school or the workplace, while others have a screen that shows the user’s face. Salisbury said not having wheels is more practical for the AV1, and, weighing about 1 kilogram, the robot can be easily moved from classroom to classroom for teachers or students in a custom-made backpack.
Salisbury added that the absence of a screen showing the child’s face can also be an advantage. “We’ve seen that removing the pressure of being on camera increases the likelihood that the robot will be used for students who avoid school for emotional reasons,” Salisbury said.
#robot #helps #sick #children #attend #school