Japan introduces robots that go to school instead of students / "We hope to reduce the anxiety of children"

The board of education in Kumamoto, a city in southwestern Japan, will launch an effort to combat school absenteeism through robotic classroom avatars that allow students to remotely engage with classes and school life, the publication writes. Japanese The Mainichi.

The robots are equipped with microphones, speakers and cameras to enable two-way communication. According to the Kumamoto Municipal Board of Education, this type of initiative is rare nationwide. The goal is to reduce the anxiety of absent children and students who are planning to return to class.

An education board official said: “Apart from allowing them to view classes, the robots allow students to move freely in space and communicate with others at will. Hopefully this can help lower the mental hurdles for chiulangi students.”