In Germany, Thanks To Robot Avatar Sick Children Can Still Interact At School

Robot Avatar helps interaction at school. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA – Robot avatars have begun to be used to help school children in Germany. This happened to Joshua Martinangeli, 7 years old, who was too sick to go to school, able to keep studying.

The student at an elementary school in Germany can still interact with his teacher and classmates through a robot avatar that sits in class in his place and sends a blinking signal when he wants to say something.

"Kids talk to him, laugh with him and sometimes even chat with him during lessons. Joshi does well too," Ute Winterberg, principal at the Pusteblume-Grundschule in Berlin, told Reuters in an interview.

"Joshua was unable to attend classes because he had a tube around his neck due to a severe lung disease," said his mother, Simone Martinangeli.

This avatar robot project for schoolchildren is a private initiative funded by a local council in the Berlin district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf.

"We are the only district in Berlin that has purchased four avatars for its school. The impetus is COVID-19, but I think this will be a future far beyond the pandemic," said district education councilor Torsten Kuehne.

"It does happen from time to time, for various reasons, that a child cannot go to class in person. Then, an avatar can give the child the opportunity to remain part of the school community," Kuehne said.

He added that he had raised the project in political discussions at the state level.

"I like it because I love the avatar," said student Noah Kuessner when asked if he was looking forward to seeing Joshua again. "And I would prefer if Joshi could actually come to school," said another classmate, Beritan Aslanglu.