CARES researchers Associate Professor Elizabeth Broadbent and Dr Craig Sutherland featured on TVNZ’s Seven Sharp, discussing robots in the classroom. Our CARES research project explored how companion robots could be useful in rural schools, and found that companion robots could be used to help motivate students to study science and technology, and to provide comfort. The research outcomes were recently published in the International Journal of Social Robotics. http://rdcu.be/EzYk

The majority of participants from the study said they would like to have the robots at their schools. This study suggests that in addition to having an assistant teacher role, companion robots may have a useful comforting role. The results inform designers about which applications to develop for robots in rural schools.

Link to TVNZ’s Seven Sharp segment can be found here: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/seven-sharp/clips/will-robots-be-part-of-the-solution-to-new-zealand-s-teacher-shortage