Ute Winterberg, headmistress of the Pusteblume-Grundschule in Berlin, told Reuters in an interview: “The kids in the class talk to him (the robot), laugh with him and even chit-chat with him while he’s studying.”
Joshua’s mother Simone Martinangeli said her son could not attend classes at school because of a serious lung disease that had a tube inserted into his neck.
This robot avatar project is being run on a private paid basis through a local council in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district of Berlin. The council says that it has made available 4 such robot avatars for schools in the district. The inspiration behind this was the corona pandemic. The council believes that this is the future of education after the pandemic.
A councilor associated with the council said that there are times when a child is not able to go to school due to various reasons. In such a situation, the robotic avatar helps that child to be connected to the school and makes him feel that he too is a part of the school community. The council has also brought this project forward for political discussion at the state level.
Noah Kuessner, a child in Joshua’s class, said he liked it when asked if he wanted to see Joshua at school again. He said that whether it is the robot avatar of Joshua or whether it is Joshua himself, he likes it.
Another classmate of Joshua, Beritan Aslanglu, said it would be better if Joshua could come to the school himself.
While modern technology is bringing new conveniences in everyday life, it is also playing an important role in the social life of human beings. Robot avatars in schools can actually prove to be a better option to continue studies during a serious illness or pandemic.
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