Innovative tech allows unwell children to access the classroom. 

We recently tweeted a brilliant piece by Education Technology, on a pioneering new start up, allowing for children with long term illnesses to participate in school & social activities via the power of technology.

Initially launched in Norway, the revolutionary concept is now set to launch in the UK. The first product is an avatar, which allows children & young adults who are forced to take long periods of time off of school due to ill health, to maintain a presence in the classroom. Since it's launch In 2016, at the University of Oslo, in consultation with teachers and scientists, the friendly looking robots have been used by over 200 children in Norway, Sweden, Denmark & The Netherlands.

Karen Dolva, co-founder and CEO of the start up, No Isolation added.

"We have learnt that when children suffer from long-term illness, their corresponding isolation from friends makes it harder for them to recover and to come back to school when they feel better. We are also aware that developing speech and social skills is just as important as following the curriculum. When they are not a part of the social scene, children miss out on important learning through play and interaction.At No Isolation, the purpose of our technology is to help people alleviate the feeling of loneliness. We want to develop tools for the groups that need more than generic solutions. AV1 helps children with long-term illness to stay in touch with their friends, keep up with their education, and secure that crucial link to everyday life."

This fantastic concept's primary goal is to reduce loneliness amongst children suffering from long term health issues, however, the idea can only be a positive for their education and social skills. The AV-1 robot, which is controlled by the child through an app, allows the child to join in from a hospital bed or sofa at home. The robot acts as the 'eyes, ears and voice' of the child, with a blinking light ti signal when they want to say something and the ability to turn 360' to see and speak to the whole class.

For more information check out the No Isolation website.