When children are chronically ill and unable to go to school, it's not just the illness that can be debilitating – the separation from the classroom and friends can also negatively affect them. However, the AV1 robot is now helping sick children not miss lessons.
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For young people undergoing long-term treatment or experiencing mental health issues, the Norwegian company No Isolation developed the AV1 robot, which can take a child's place in the classroom, serving as eyes, ears, and voice and helping them not to miss lessons and interaction with their classmates .
The AV1 looks like a hollow, 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 they are given a unique password.
Florence Salisbury of No Isolation says there are 3,000 active AV1 units in 17 countries, mainly in the UK and Germany, both of which have over 1,000 of the robots in operation.
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In the UK, schools can rent AV1 to children for around $200 per month or opt for a one-off purchase for just under $4,960, with an additional service package of around $1,045 per year, so they don't miss out on their lessons.
Salisbury says perhaps the robot's biggest benefit is its ability to maintain social connections. He shared the story of a 15-year-old student in Warwickshire, England, who uses AV1, whose friends take the robot to lunch with them, keeping it in their social circle.
According to the latest government statistics, over 19% of children in England were absent from lessons for long periods in the autumn of 2023/24, 7.8% due to illness alone, which is higher than pre-pandemic levels, indicating the usefulness of AV1.
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According to Salisbury, AV1 is designed with strong privacy features. No personal data , and the app prevents screenshots or audio recordings. Encryption secures the live stream, and only one device can be connected at a time, with the robot's head and eyes lighting up to signal active use.
Source: CNN
