For families who have had to adapt to masks, quarantines, and immersive rapidly and hybrid learning, 2020 is indeed a year full of unexpected because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, one of the surprises 2020 has brought is that students can now go to school and attend class with a robot's help.
This Star Wars R2D2 lookalike has become increasingly common in K-12 classrooms in the United States during the pandemic. Thanks to hybrid or blended learning models, some learners are in the school, and others are studying from home.
The main distinction between a robot and a traditional camera is that the robot follows movement and sound, rotating up to 360 degrees so that students at home can see more than a static classroom image.
A Washington Post report noted that people worldwide have to change the way they live because of the restrictions placed to prevent the coronavirus spread.
According to ICO Today Magazine, telepresence robots are expected to increase from 2020 to 2025 in the coming years. These bots can allow students to feel like they're going to classes during simulated debates.
Thomas, one of the students using the robot Telepresence, which he calls "Techno wizardy," told the Washington Post that while it looks like something from Star Wars, these robots are truly amazing.
Long before the #COVID19 pandemic increased the use of telepresence robots, CNPH Assistant Professor, Dr. A. Hasan Sapci developed an innovative Health Informatics curriculum that included use of 2 telepresence robots and in-depth health informatics skills training. pic.twitter.com/EOeHyqN2js — Adelphi College of Nursing and Public Health (@AdelphiCNPH) September 8, 2020
Why Telepresence Robots Have Better Experience In Learning
Telepresence robots may follow the sound and movement given by the user, relative to standard camera versions. They will rotate as many as 360 degrees, enabling the students at home to more realistically see the school.
Joe Peacock, Burgundy Farm's Chief Technical Officer, said they have now discovered a technology that is more entertaining than traditional cameras. He added that it is more natural to feel like you're seated inside a classroom with the robots.
These robots also allow you to turn your head to hear who's talking, giving you a better learning experience. Due to the robots' special characteristics, during simulated courses, they will allow the students to feel and interact further.
Technical difficulties, however, exist. Systems often crash or need to be rebooted. Their expense is potentially a greater barrier to their widespread use. The machines start at about $600 each and rise into the thousands, so they are most widely utilized in private schools, although they are now still used by several public school systems.
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