When children are chronically ill and unable to attend school, it’s not just the illness that can be debilitating — but also the lack of social interaction with friends.
Designed by a Norwegian start-up called No Isolation, the AV1 sits in the classroom and live streams video and audio back to the child’s tablet or smartphone at home. Kids can speak through the robot and participate in lessons, controlling where AV1 is looking. It helps them stay connected not just with school but also with school friends.
One (English) child said: ‘My robot makes me feel like I haven’t been forgotten.’
There are a large number of children around the world undergoing long-term treatment or struggling with mental health issues so this little robot will be a lifeline.
The AV1 looks like a blank, simplified version of a human head and torso. It rotates 360 degrees and is fitted with a camera, microphone, and speaker.
Teachers place it on a classroom desk and the student controls it remotely using an app, for which they are given a unique password.
It goes to lunchtime, recess, or wherever their friends take their robot buddy.
Developed by Karen Dolva, the 27-year-old Norwegian got the idea from a nurse in a children’s ward who “mentioned these kids were miserable and only saw their families,” she says.
She and two friends – all three with a background in engineering and technology – talked to the children and discovered that smartphones and messaging apps weren’t enough to address their feelings of isolation.
“We realized the kids needed to have a presence somewhere they weren’t,” says Ms. Dolva.
However, they don’t come cheap—the AV1 costs $4,960 to buy or $200 monthly to rent. In the future, the hope is that schools will buy them and offer them to children for free.
Presently, the friendly robot is used by around 500 children across Europe, and the plan is to introduce it to the US market soon.