Boy with life-threatening allergies attends school remotely, thanks to new robot

A classroom in New Jersey (not Devon's) enjoys the presence of VGo, a telepresence robot to solve a variety of classroom challenges, including helping a homebound student stay involved with his teachers and peers while recovering from medical treatments. (PRNewsFoto/Verizon via AP)

WEST SENECA, N.Y. – A 4-foot-tall robot is giving a New York second-grader the chance to go to school.

Life-threatening allergies keep 7-year-old Devon Carrow out of his suburban Buffalo school in the traditional sense.

But the VGo, with a wireless video hookup and motorized wheels, puts him there remotely. While controlling the robot from his home computer, Devon sees and hears the goings-on in class. And because the VGo's on wheels, he can stroll the hallways and hang out at recess.

Devon's Winchester Elementary classmates treat him like any other kid, comparing Lego creations and telling jokes.

After a year with the VGo, Devon says it's like playing a video game.

Since the VGo was introduced in 2011 by Nashua, N.H.-based VGo Communications, a handful of students across the country have used it.