Children who are chronically ill may not be able to attend school. This can lead them to miss important education milestones or struggle with mental health issues due to separation from their peers.
However, there is now a little robot that allows them to stay connected in school and with their classmates without leaving their homes. That tool is called the AV1 robot, developed by the Norwegian company No Isolation.
What Is the AV1 Robot?
No Isolation's AV1 is a little robot that looks like a simplified head and torso. The robot is fitted with a camera, a microphone, and a speaker that the student can use to attend classes and talk to their classmates or teachers.
The use of AV1 can keep children socially and educationally connected, according to findings in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Digital Health. That paper analyzed the use of AV1 in schools in Germany and the OriHime robot in Japan for the study.
The AV1 robot can be placed on a classroom desk while the student controls it remotely using an app. Each student will be given a unique password to ensure they have exclusive use of a robot. They can tap or swipe their fingers on the app to get the robot to look at different corners of the classroom, per its website.
To boost class interaction, No Isolation also equipped the AV1 with a "raise hand" function that makes a light flash on the robot's head. Furthermore, users can select emojis, which will make it display in the robot's eyes.
Where Is AV1 Used?
There are 3,000 active AV1 units across 17 countries worldwide. Specifically, more than 1,000 robots are in operation in the UK and Germany. No Isolation also noted that its AV1 robots are used in 2,500 schools and have supported 10,000 children globally.
Renting an AV1 robot can cost $200 per month or $4,960 for a one-time purchase. There is also an additional service package billed annually at $1,045.
No Isolation launched its AV1 robot before the COVID-19 pandemic. Some schools that used the robot said it helped their students reintegrate into the classroom environment following the lockdowns.
