Boy with life-threatening allergies attends school remotely, thanks to new robot
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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)
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.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.