Robot Helps Aspergillosis Student Attend Classes

Submitted by GAtherton on 23 February 2015

A remarkable example of how the increasing abilities of robots are helping one young person with aspergillosis live their life and ‘virtually’ attend school, take lessons and meet her friends (first published in Fox 4, written by Lauren Huet)

There’s a robot to the rescue at Sabine Pass School. Its name is Robin, and she’s acting as one student’s eyes, ears, and legs.

Thanks to Robin, a homebound student doesn’t miss a class. At first glance, it may seem like 14-year-old Marissa Peltier is working on the computer at home, but she’s actually in class.

Thanks to Sabine Pass School’s new robot they’ve named Robin. It’s a V-Go Robot. “Yes, I was hoping they would, because they told me about it, and I was just really shocked, and I was praying that they would get it,” said Marissa. Marissa was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis November of 2013, days before her birthday.

“Recently we went back for a visit,” said Marissa’s mother Belinda Peltier, “and she had Aspergillosis infection in her lungs, and spent another 3 weeks in the hospital. So Dr. Hyatt and Dr. Coutori said absolutely no more school for now, because of the flu season and everything.” Marissa’s immune system is compromised, so it would be dangerous for her to go to school. She’s been homebound since December “At first I was kind of sad, because I wanted to be able to see my friends after three weeks or so,” said Marissa, “but then after a while I was like, I guess this is what I have to deal with. I can’t change it.”

Until the school brought Robin on the scene about one week and a half ago. “I was actually really amazed by how I could just press a few buttons and I’m in class,” said Marissa. Marissa can move Robin the robot around, drive through the halls, speak through the microphone, see, and hear everything that’s going on in class. One teacher dressed-up Robin in a stylish skirt and top. “Ya, you just press the arrow keys, like the up is to go forwards, backwards, the left and right is left and right,” said Marissa. To raise her hand, she turns on a light to catch the teacher’s attention. “TEA allows you to get attendance for her, like if she was in the classroom, and it’s so good for her to be able to mix with the kids and to be able to be one on one with her teachers,” said the Superintendent of Sabine Pass School Kristi Heid.

The superintendent, principal, and technology coordinator ordered the VGo for Marissa after the school board gave its approval. Before Robin the Robot, Marissa was using Google Hangout to attend class, but her participation was limited. She’d video message each of her teachers for class, then sign-out. She wasn’t able to interact with her peers.

Another option for homebound students is to send a tutor. “Yes as a homebound student we would send a teacher out to her, and that teacher may specialize in one or two subjects, but not in all the subjects she needs,” said Superintendent Heid. “So, this allows her to get all that instruction from the different teachers that she sees during the day.”

It also allows Marissa to see her friends. “With this robot Marissa interacts with the students, she moves to lunch, she moves from class to class, and it’s just like if she’s here,” said Superintendent Heid. “So, that’s very good for her and her morale and for her teachers also who don’t want her to miss any of that special instruction.” Marissa’s mom says the robot has made all the difference. “They actually bring it to the lunch room, or she drives it to the lunch room and eats lunch with them,” said Peltier. “So, she can sit here and eat lunch while they sit there and eat lunch.”

“It’s really cool. I like it,” said Marissa. Superintendent Heid says they hope to purchase three more VGo robots, with the help of donations. She hopes their school, and other schools, can use the VGo robots to help homebound students. The robot costs 6 thousand dollars plus 1,200 dollars for maintenance per year.

Read More at: http://www.fox4beaumont.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/robot-helps-homebound-student-attend-class-5689.shtml