The AV1 is a telepresence avatar robot designed to help children and young adults with a long-term illness reconnect with school and their social lives. It is a social and education communication tool that acts as the child or young persons eyes, ears, and voice, representing them wherever they cannot physically be, whilst they are at hospital or at home.
The AV1 is was developed by a Norwegian company called `No Isolation`. It becomes the student's `physical presence` in the classroom whilst the young person accesses the robot from hospital or home.The AV1 Robots can help support and re-engage young people who are currently off school for medical or anxiety reasons.
How AV1 Robots can help
- improve attendance rates - students can be marked as present for the lessons they participate in through the AV1
- help maintain or improve attainment rates for the young person
- prevent an escalation of need
- prevent a pupil from feeling lonely and isolated
- seamlessly support a pupil out of and back into education, keeping in touch with teachers and `normal` teaching
- compliment any medical tuition arrangements
How the AV1 Robot works
- the user connects to their AV1 Robot (which is at school) through the AV1 app
- works on WiFi and 4G
- end-to-end encryption
- 6 hour battery life (must be charged nightly)
How to access AV1 Robots
Southend-on-Sea City Council has an avatar army of 50 AV1 Robots.
The education access team at Southend-on-Sea City Council can offer an avatar to a child who is unable to access school due to health needs. If the avatar is deemed the most appropriate service level offer, they are delivered and set up free of charge.
Additionally, Southend schools can hire units from the education access team, if they need an intervention which may not warrant a medical referral. We currently have many schools loaning units for a variety of reasons.
AV1 Robots are available to schools either via the education access team for a medical need, or available to loan from the team for a small fee.
For more information contact educationaccessteam@southend.gov.uk