In a Lausanne nursery, a group of Swiss three-year-olds gather in a circle on the floor, eagerly engaging with Nao, a small robot designed to interact with them. The children ask Nao questions about giraffes and broccoli, an activity that experts believe foreshadows a future where interacting with robots will be as routine as using smartphones.
Since the New Year, Nao has
been a regular visitor at the Nanosphere nursery, located on the campus of the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology University. Unlike a substitute teacher,
Nao is described as an “interactive learning companion.” Standing at just 58
centimetres tall, Nao greets the children at eye level from a bench each morning.
“Hello, my name is Nao. I’m
happy to be at the Nanosphere today,” he says in a high-pitched, child-like
voice. “I left my planet some time ago to come and meet you. I look forward to
getting to know you and being able to talk with you in the weeks ahead.”
Children react differently to
Nao, with some walking straight past, others waving, touching his hand, or
staring at him in fascination.
Preparing
for a Robotic Future
Olivier Delamadeleine,
director-general of the Educalis group of nurseries and primary schools in
Lausanne, emphasizes the importance of early familiarization with robots. “What
will the children’s future be like? Will they have to work with robots? Very
probably yes,” Delamadeleine told AFP. “So as we are in a place of learning it
is important to get them familiarised early so that they’re used to working
with robots,” he added.
In the classroom, teacher Eve
L’Eplattenier and 14 children sit in a circle with Nao in the centre. “He’s
going to come and explain things to you,” she says. Nao then speaks to the
children, promoting healthy eating by asking, “Do you like broccoli? It’s very
good for your health.”
L’Eplattenier places Nao on a
table, explaining that unlike children, he will not grow taller. The children
gather around excitedly, prompting Nao to remind them, “No squabbling!”
A
New Learning Dynamic
With the help of their teacher,
the children challenge Nao with questions like, “I am an animal with a trunk.
What am I?” Nao, whose responses are fed by Gabriel Paffi, a masters student in
robotics, often gets the answers right, much to the children’s amusement. Paffi
is working to automate Nao’s responses and movements, aiming to reduce the need
for manual input.
Nao robots first entered the
market in 2008. The sixth generation is now managed by the Germany-based United
Robotics Group, with over 15,000 units sold. The plan is for Nao to remain in
Educalis nurseries for several years, expanding his capabilities over time.
L’Eplattenier notes that the
children are enthusiastic about Nao’s visits, having bonded with their robotic
companion. “They are curious to see what he will say, what he will do,” she
says. “He’s a companion with little tips and bits of advice. I think he will
quickly position himself as the little know-it-all of the group.”
Parents are also supportive,
seeing potential benefits in integrating new technologies into early education.
“I think it’s a good way to help the children progress with new technologies,”
says Guillaume Quentin.
As the session ends, each child
says goodbye to Nao, who responds to each by name. “I love you. I will come
back soon,” he tells them, as he prepares to “fly back into space.”
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