Robots to Help Children Touch the Outside World

UC team developing better telepresence robots, equipped with robotic arms. A team of University of California researchers is working to improve telepresence robots and the algorithms that drive them to help children with disabilities stay connected to their classmates, teachers and communities. The effort is funded by a $1 million grant from the National Robotics Initiative at the National Science Foundation. The researchers will be using Stretch, a robot manufactured by Hello Robot. Here CEO Aaron Edsinger poses with the bot. Photo courtesy of Hello Robot. The project is unique in that the team is working with telepresence robots equipped with an arm that will allow children at home to interact with the outside world by touch.