As reported in the Portland Press Herald and News Center – WCSH-6 – Portland, the Vassalboro Community School in AOS92 has recently purchased a Double Robotics telepresence device to assist on of their students with a chronic illness who is not able to attend school.
The device, called “Double” is a remote student-controlled robotic device that is able to navigate through the school and allow the student to attend classes and interact with students and teachers from home. The device was created by a company called Double Robotics a California-based technology company. As noted in the Press Herald article:
“Double is an iPad mounted on wheels that Abby (the student) is able to remotely control over Wi-Fi. Think Skype on a Segway.
“‘It acts as your double,’ says Sara Broyles, communications manager Double Robotics Inc., the company that created the ‘telepresence’ robot that Abby uses. ‘It gives you a physical presence where you can’t be in person.'”
The use of robots as assistive technology is growing across the country. We have posted more information about this device and others here on our website.
Funding for this particular technology was provided by the Perloff Family Fund of the Maine Community Foundation.
Another source of funding is the Grahamtastic Foundation who currently has a fleet of nine robots working to support students in Maine schools.
More information
- View the article and video on the Portland Press Herald website.
- View the video story on News Center – WCSH-6 Portland.
- More information about this device and other robots.