OCA’s Newest Enrollment, iPal is a Social and Educational Robot

Ohio Construction Academy was the lucky recipient of an iPal robot. The robot was donated by Mr. Penn Berens, OCA School Board Director. Mr. Berens won the robot prize while attending a conference hosted by Buckeye Charter School Board. He knew exactly where his new prize was headed, OCA.

OCA’s board and visitors from BCSB and PSI commented on how they felt the 3-foot robot with a child’s voice was “a great tool, even for High School students.” This social robot is currently in use by students in Japan and Connecticut, where it has helped schools as an aid to teachers, never as a replacement.

The new robot will be programmed with Android apps. OCA can use iPal in the labs and classrooms to teach students about robotic programming, and with the addition of Construction related apps, they can also enhance what the students are currently learning with this new tool.

iPal used its 36 sensors to navigate the OCA construction labs and meet the students. It scanned the crowd of students, offered them greetings, and danced and read to them. The students were fascinated with the robot, walking with it throughout the lab, playing preloaded games like Rock, Paper, Scissors, and using the touch sensors to make the robot laugh.

While the school awaits a trainer to come with detailed instructions for iPal’s use, the students were busy figuring out a name for their new robot classmate. Proving what principal Matt Demosky suspected, students will enjoy this new addition to their school. “They’ll be trying to figure it out and running with it in no time.”