California Teachers Replaced by Robots?

Robotic Teacher Enthralls Toddlers
Sony Develops 'Teacher-Bots'

SAN DIEGO -- An experimental robot teacher is being tested on toddlers at the University of California, San Diego's early childhood education center.
The 3-foot-tall, slightly "pudgy" robot is named Rubi. She was created by a team of scientists at UCSD's Machine Perception Laboratory.



Children like interacting with Rubi because she shows human emotion, according to the scientists.



"If Rubi didn't have the capacity for facial expressions, much of the interaction would be lost," said Javier Movellan, of the Machine Perception Lab. "It would be kind of a sterile interaction as opposed to a personal interaction."

Rubi can track movements and respond to questions. She is ticklish and can greet children by name.

Sony is helping to develop future teacher-bots, NBC 7/39 reported. Researchers say next year's model will be able to move around the room on her own.

NBCSandiego.com - Health - Robotic Teacher Enthralls Toddlers

UCSD Press Release

This is the same nursery school that included Qrio in the class