Robots to help chronically ill children communicate with teachers

30 robots are going to be part of a second-phase research project in several schools in Austria

A team of psychologists from the Medical University of Vienna and the Norwegian company No Isolation are introducing the second step of their innovative research project. The project focuses on children with illnesses that do not allow them to attend schools and classes with their classmates. That is why a robot is planned to stand in their place.  

The robot “AV1” will help kids take part in lessons and keep social contact while staying at home. The benefit of the robot is that the pupil can control it and decide when to participate in class. The avatar can also transform emotions and facial expressions helping teachers as well.

In Austria, 17 000 children have difficulties attending school because they have some disability preventing them from being in the classroom. With the avatar, they can still have a sense of belonging and feeling of being in the middle of the action. This project does not have a target age group and schoolchildren of all ages can participate.

30 robots in the second phase of the project

The first phase also had robots in the classrooms, but it is now expected to expand to 30 avatars in order to speed up the scientific process. Feedback for the performance of the robot will be given through interviews with teachers, parents and students.

The team hopes that the robots can also improve the way people deal with disease and that if social involvement is ensured, then disability will become a slightly less significant part of their daily lives.

The three-year research project includes the Medical University of Vienna, the University of Klagenfurt, the Wiener Heilstättenschule and the company Die Beratung. It is financed, among other things, by the Innovation Foundation for Education, which announced a grant of 60,000 euros on Monday.