15 Nov 2017 | Invest in ME offering remote-linked robots to children with ME to help end isolation

Sasha

Sasha

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
IiME said:
Earlier this year Invest in ME Research was contacted by a Norwegian company who were interested in demonstrating a product that was aimed at reducing the isolation experienced by many younger people who were unable to attend school, or were cut-off from social contact due to illness. [...]

Initially, a trial of three AV1 robots will be set up involving families who currently have a child with ME who is unable to attend school, or whose regular attendance is compromised by ME. [...]

The robot, called AV1, acts as the students’ eyes, ears and voice in the classroom on days where they cannot be physically present. With AV1 the student controls the robot with an app on a tablet. When the student raises their hand, a light flashes on AV1’s head.

The robot can be turned 360 degrees, so the student can see the entire classroom and talk to other students. If the student does not feel like actively participating, they communicate it by turning on a blue light on AV1’s head. AV1 is designed to withstand Childs play, and can join classmates in the playground or on after school visits....
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Read the rest: http://www.investinme.org/IIMER-Newslet-1711-02.shtml

Note also:

IiME said:
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Invest in ME Research at 02380 643736 or email at info@investinme.org.

If you would like to be one of the families trialling AV1 and would be prepared to report back during the trial and work with us, No Isolation and the school/school authority then we would be very keen to hear from you.
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Amw66 said:
There was a father whose son had an autoimmune disease trying hard to get this into Scottish Education ( radio coverage earlier this year). Change is not made easily within the Scottish system- he was having a helluva try though.
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Yes, public schools tend to be pretty horrible when it come to accommodating anything new or different. In the US, I think most teachers would immediately label it a "distraction" to the other children, and forbid it from even being trialed. Nice idea, but I think the bigger problem is elsewhere.
 
I reckon the child with ME will be the coolest kid in the class. :cool:

While waiting for the biomedical research to hopefully lead to treatments, to filter through to paediatric care, many patients become adults who've missed years of experiences of childhood and adolescence, so I welcome this innovation from Norway.

What matters most I guess, is what the youngsters themselves think of AV1 robot and if they'd like to trial it. There will be reluctance and possibly even resistance from some schools and local education authorities, but many that will welcome the opportunity to pilot creative use of technology and innovative measures to support the inclusion of students with chronic and disabling illness.

AV1 is already helping ME-patients across Scandinavia, the Netherlands and UK.

Children and youths suffering from ME is the largest user group – a salient point and one that ought to be a red flag for any education system.

Research fellow Jorun Børsting and senior lecturer Alma Leora Culén at the Institute for Informatics, University of Oslo, are researching the technology needs of ME-patients. Having studied the use of AV1 among nine children and youths suffering from ME they see a big advantage in the fact that the robot is designed with ME-patients in mind. Børsting stresses that the robot cannot fully replace normal attendance at school or home teaching, but act as a supplement.

We invite support for this campaign to help younger children – in the hope and knowledge that it could lead to fewer problems in the future for young people affected by ME.


“Of the children I followed several had not attended school in a long time when they first received the robot.
Some had been out of school for over six months.
After they received AV1, all of them participated regularly, on their own terms”

- Jorun Børsting, Research fellow and senior lecturer Alma Leora Culén at the Institute for Informatics, University of Oslo.

http://www.investinme.org/IIMER-Newslet-1711-02.shtml
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UPDATE 9 January 2018: http://www.investinme.org/IIMER-Newslet-1711-02.shtml

REMOVING ISOLATION FROM YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ME

The status with this trial is currently that three families have volunteered and been selected to participate in this trial.

The robot devices have been delivered by No Isolation and are in the process of being set up at the schools.

One of the objectives has been to involve the local SENCOs and enlist the proactive support of the schools - all necessary pre-requisites. We are happy to say that this has been done.

NO Isolation has been providing great support and are following closely this trial.

They are also proving to be very supportive and receptive to ideas which is helping raise awareness of ME as well as tackling this particular issue of isolation.

We hope to have more news in coming weeks.

The trial continues for three months.

http://www.investinme.org/IIMER-Newslet-1711-02.shtml
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Related to the issue of isolation of children with ME: http://www.investinme.eu/IIMEC13-news-180209.shtml

Professor Kristian Sommerfelt from Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway is a paediatrician and will be presenting at the 8th International Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium in London on 30-31 May 2018.

He has sent us an image - a drawing by a young child in Norway with ME.

A reminder that ME recognises no borders, no boundaries, no age groups.

The captions reads "ME is like a butterfly chained to a stone"

Emma is nine years old - and has had ME for over three years.

The image perhaps says more than a long scientific article about the consequences of this disease.

This is why we do what we do.

http://www.investinme.eu/IIMEC13-news-180209.shtml
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Also, Channel 4 piece on use of AV1 for adults, interestingly, one is a paediatrician and the course was on genomics.

https://www.channel4.com/news/by/jo...-helping-new-mothers-learn-genomics-from-home
 
Amw66 said:
There was a father whose son had an autoimmune disease trying hard to get this into Scottish Education ( radio coverage earlier this year). Change is not made easily within the Scottish system- he was having a helluva try though.
It seems a great model for primary
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Sounds as though a start has been made in Scotland...
10 hrs ago
Classroom robot being trialled in East Lothian schools:
http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/n...robot_being_trialled_in_East_Lothian_schools/

Following initial success and positive feedback from users, the authority has ordered more AV1 units to support children and young people with a range of needs.

Fiona Robertson, East Lothian Council’s head of education, said: “We are really pleased to be trialling this new technology in our schools.

“At a recent initial trial, one of our class teachers at Campie Primary School was able to read a picture book to, and interact successfully with, a learner at home."

“The headteacher was also able to join in and have a chat with the learner about how she was doing."

“The teacher has commented on how natural the interaction feels, and admits that any initial doubts she may have had about robots in the classroom have quickly dissipated. We are really pleased with the device, and feedback from school and the learner’s parents has been very positive. It’s been wonderful to see its impact on the learner, her teacher and the school staff.”

Alison Elgin, depute headteacher at Campie Primary School, added: “This technology has made such a difference to the child and her family.

“The school has been in touch with the family on a regular basis, but this has been a particularly powerful addition for the learner to keep communicating with her classmates and her teacher.”

Ms Robertson added: “Because of this success, we are exploring how we can use this technology further to support more children and young people who require additional support in their learning.”

http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/n...robot_being_trialled_in_East_Lothian_schools/
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Jo Best said:
Sounds as though a start has been made in Scotland...
10 hrs ago
Classroom robot being trialled in East Lothian schools:
http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/n...robot_being_trialled_in_East_Lothian_schools/
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I think it is a great asset for primary where there is one teacher and one class - managing it in secondary would be a lot more challenging. The school would have to be very proactive, have a will to manage change, and our experience is that if there is not a ticky box to be ticked, then it will not happen.

To give you a flavour of the mindset, my friend's daughter has scoliosis. She is bang on 25% curvature which means she is not eligible for surgery and has to " learn to live with it". Our school is a lot more positive than others re resourcing for pupils with specific needs, and the child has missed most of a years schooling, and cannot sit for long periods - currently half a day is the most she can manage.

School sourced a chair ( a super douper office type thing that another pupil with " issues" had used) and called mum and daughter to school to see if it was viable. Very comfy, but very heavy and none had thought just how it was going to move from class to class! ( imagine teenagers in charge of a mobile chair in long corridors...)
Meanwhile, a mentally capable child is failed as she can only attend part time- and there is no joined up link to work for the classes she misses on the half days - in the C21st you can't make this up! She has now developed anxiety re school as she knows she cannot possibly keep up......many children being set up to fail.
 
Amw66 said:
Meanwhile, a mentally capable child is failed as she can only attend part time- and there is no joined up link to work for the classes she misses on the half days - in the C21st you can't make this up! She has now developed anxiety re school as she knows she cannot possibly keep up......many children being set up to fail.
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That's awful and so unnecessary. Yes, 18 years into the 21st century, it's shameful really.
 
there was a series on BBC two about these robots and different potential applications
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09l67mg

"In a television first, this series follows six British families with different needs as they welcome robots into their homes, from helping them get fit to easing the burden of care and from helping them understand the world to teaching them how to enjoy it. Each robot assists a family with a specific need, but one that millions of us can relate to. How will they react? Will the robots actually work? And will the families want to keep them or switch them off at the end of the experiment?"

mixed results......one in particular (as a care-bot for someone with MS) that was dependent on an internet connection!
 
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About AV1 robot but not specifically about M.E...



Link to the article: http://news.trust.org/item/20180301132606-p5j47/?cid=social_20180301_75703347

LONDON, March 1 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - For children battling long-term illness, coping with physical pain is not their only challenge: being away from school also means missing out on time with friends, and that can be tough.

And parents often worry about the impact months of missed classes will have on their child's education.

That is where a classroom robot called AV1 comes in. Its job is to act as the eyes, ears and voice for children with long-term illnesses who cannot make it to class.

More: http://news.trust.org/item/20180301132606-p5j47/?cid=social_20180301_75703347
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Article on No Isolation website about one of the students trialling AV1 though IiME Research:
https://www.noisolation.com/uk/article/2018/makayla-and-her-av1/

Extract:

"Makayla’s Mum feels Robbie has improved Makayla’s day-to-day life, stating:

This is the first time in 8 years that I’ve had hope with Makayla’s education. Hearing the lessons coming from her bedroom I could have cried. We don’t have a normal life, but Robbie has given her some normality.

Makayla agreed with this saying:

Just the extra hours of being in class have helped me. Exam work has started for my GCSE’s, so Robbie’s helping me to catch up."

 
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