Buddy, it’s Fun because it’s Techy

Buddy, the charming and endearing robot-concierge that makes guests feel welcome, can support hotel properties and staff in many ways and also enable more upsells.

Empathy through AI

Empathy and emotions are at the core of the Buddy’s design to affect positively interactions. And its expressiveness and engaging personality make it easy for people to connect with it.

Moreover, Buddy’s interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making it accessible to all guests, regardless of their level of technological proficiency.  

Last but not least the combination of generative AI and Buddy enables seamless and effective communication that takes the user experience to a new level.

CIC Hospitality Partners with Blue Frog Robotics to deploy Guest Service Robots across a new generation of hotels

CIC Hospitality’s strategy is to focus on best-in-class cost management and innovative solutions. 

In response to the growing demand for streamlined processes and efficient guest services, CIC Hospitality has decided to integrate groundbreaking technologies such as robots into the daily operations of its hotels to bring a truly unique and modern experience.  

CIC Hospitality deployed since last august the Buddy robots in three Aiden hotels (Lolland, Herning and Stockholm City) for a pilot program, with the aim to include them at all 30 new Aiden hotels coming soon in Scandinavia.  

Blue Frog Robotics expects CIC Hospitality will place its Buddy Robot in other hotels it owns throughout the world after the testing phase is completed. 

“We’re really excited about this new collaboration, which expands Buddy’s scope of possibilities to hospitality guest services. Not only Buddy can move around completely unassisted or fully automated but also offer magical moments – Aiden guests are going to love their fun & techy receptionist!”

Rodolphe Hasselvander Founder of Blue Frog Robotics

“We are very pleased with the partnership with Blue Frog and are looking very much forward to presenting our guests Buddy. Not only will it enhance the guests’ experience staying at Aiden, but also help us to take hospitality technology to a whole new level.”

Theis Nørskov Operation Manager at CIC Hospitality

L’article Buddy, The Ultimate Welcoming and Hospitality AI solution est apparu en premier sur BLUE FROG ROBOTICS.

Why choose Buddy?

Buddy, and its unique interaction capabilities, allows  children with autism to progress while remaining in the real world with its social codes, unlike mobile applications and their virtual world. Which also allows progress in interactions with humans.

This emotional dimension is something that inanimate objects, such as computers or tablets, cannot achieve.

Buddy, a character

Before being a platform on which many applications are available, it is first and foremost a character who can speak, move and react to caresses.

Buddy, a presence in a real environment

Buddy also has the advantage of being embodied in a “body” that evolves in our environment, so it is not only a “virtual” being, which multiplies its uses and makes it more engaging. It provides a feeling of presence that soothes and reassures.

Buddy, a presence in a real environment

Buddy also has the advantage of being embodied in a “body” that evolves in our environment, so it is not only a “virtual” being, which multiplies its uses and makes it more engaging. It provides a feeling of presence that soothes and reassures.

Buddy, a natural reinforcer!

Buddy is equipped with several sensory stimulators: touch, LED colors, voice, music, Buddy’s sounds, movements, the images it displays, and everything that makes Buddy a character. Users are engaged in the interaction with Buddy more than they would be with a tablet.

“I have a student that I hear talk very little, and when we were working on the weather on Buddy where Buddy would say “what’s the weather like today? Is it sunny? Is it raining? Is it snowing?” Well for the first time; I heard her say “it’s raining”. And I think she even said “it’s raining today”. I had never heard her say a sentence like that in its entirety that made sense with what we’re doing.”

Valérie OreillyTeacher

“And I have another student too, who has a lot of echolalia […] And there with the robot, for the first time Buddy said to her “What’s your name” and she immediately replied “my name is Inde”. And it was the first time I heard her answer without repeating the sentence and I said to myself “yes there is certainly something different on the robot than us as human beings, it offers something else.”

Valérie Oreilly Teacher

J-B Thiéry Association

For several years, the association has been betting on innovation in its daily life and in all areas within its teaching units. They have adopted Buddy and are using the benefits of the technology to work on emotion recognition.

“Overall, the children seem to have enjoyed the Buddy robot. From an aesthetic point of view, it does not inspire apprehension in any way. The children have undeniably enjoyed the robot. Over the course of the sessions, in general, the children seem to be more and more attentive to the adult’s instructions. The professionals find that it is a good tool.”

Armand ManukyanDigital referent at JB-Thiéry association

CAP Autisme Institute from AFG Autisme

The Institute recently welcomed Buddy. Discover in this article published by AFG Autisme association a first more than conclusive discovery of Buddy which will allow the improvement of the daily lives of the children going at the institute.

“This is just the beginning, we are curious to know what features the robot hides.”

Aurélia ​Psycho-educational project manager at CAP Autisme Institute

Take your First Steps with Buddy

Find out today how to use Buddy with children with autism.

We created this educational kit with teachers to facilitate learning and develop the skills of children with special needs.

Download

CONTACT US

Our team is ready to support you in the adoption and use of our Buddy robots, providing you with personalized assistance. 

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Be the next ones to welcome Buddy in your organization to elevate your guests experience !

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L’article Buddy, the companion of children with autism est apparu en premier sur BLUE FROG ROBOTICS.

NEVER WITHOUT MY CLASS: 1750 BUDDY ROBOTS DELIVERED TO ALL ACADEMIES IN METROPOLITAN FRANCE AND OVERSEAS DEPARTMENTS

Continuing your education, even while hospitalized and keeping in touch with your class, it is already possible thanks to Buddy, the avatar of sick children.

Buddy, the emotional robot, joined the TED-i program (“Working together remotely and in interaction”), an innovative inclusive tele-education system of 4,000 telepresence robots, made available by the French Ministry of National Education, serving the educational support of students prevented by serious and long-term illnesses.

Funded by the Investments for the Future Program (PIA 2) and managed by the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI), this program serving an inclusive school was extended to all academies in spring 2021, after awarded a public contract relating to the supply, delivery and maintenance of robotic tele-presence systems.

Mainly intended to support students who are unable to attend their class from kindergarten to middle school, Buddy robots allow students to be “tele-present” remotely.

Thus, no fewer than 1,750 Buddy robots, entirely designed and manufactured in France, have been delivered to academies in metropolitan France and overseas departments.

“Not only they participate in all teaching activities, but they can interact with their environment. Tele-presence robots allow them to move, exchange and register their presence within establishments, which they continue to occupy “physically” ”.

Jean-Michel BLANQUERFormer Minister of National Education (1)

TED-i : AN INCLUSIVE SCHOOL PROJECT, unique IN THE WORLD

“ It’s this socialisation that is essential, at all ages and throughout life. It’s this socialisation of which young people suffering from serious and long-term illnesses are deprived of.”

Pr. Albert-Claude BENHAMOU (1)

Each year, nearly 11,000 students injured or suffering from a chronic or long-term illness are educated in hospital and health establishments, according to the Ministry of National Education (2)

The Ministry of National Education therefore gave birth to the TED-i program in 2021 with the aim of promoting the inclusion of children “hospitalized or kept at home”.

This national TED-i program concerns an initial allocation of 4,000 robotic telepresence systems, intended to be allocated to children and young people, from kindergarten to university, who are prevented by illness, hospitalized or kept in chronic care at home.

TED-i aims to mitigate the consequences of the break with the school or training environment of isolated young people, and to facilitate their return to class, both for learning and for the pursuit of real inclusion and socialisation.

Buddy’s features are diverse. For example, they give the remote student the possibility of:

• raise hand to ask to speak,
• express orally and in writing by entering small texts
• look in all directions by operating the robot’s head
• get closer to the board and take a photo of the course materials

The robot’s touch screen allows the child to interact with Buddy and others, through audio and video feed feedback.

Télébuddy – Loading Screen

TéléBuddy – Appel en cours

TéléBuddy – Apperage, Selection du Buddy

TéléBuddy – Menu principal

TéléBuddy – Connection

TéléBuddy – Pilotage

TéléBuddy – Recherche de docking

On the robot’s face, the student can either display an emotion of his choice, or film himself in real time, like in a video conference. For example, if the remote student does not wish to show himself to his classmates, he can display a Buddy expression of his choice instead of his face, and thus transcribe his emotional state in real time: if he is happy, tired, angry… thanks to an animated expressive face. The robot’s face transmits Buddy’s expressions and emotions as well as the video feedback from the child remotely.

Connected via Wi-Fi or 4G, Buddy also offers great mobility and autonomy to be used outside the classroom, due to its weight and small size, and thus allows the child to participate in socio-cultural activities.

When we know that socialisation promotes children’s chances of recovery, Buddy therefore appears like a real superhero.

They benefited from Buddy, discover what they think!

Without a doubt, the social usefulness of Buddy no longer needs to be proven, given the numerous rave testimonials from the various stakeholders of the TED-i program, attesting the positive impact of the system on the inclusion of sick children. .

The teachers

“ The process is simple. Nael connects to Buddy using the pilot tablet. He can thus be immersed in the class, follow the lessons and even express himself! He easily operates the robot remotely and is therefore perfectly integrated into the class. For Nael’s parents, the Buddy robot is reassuring because there is no break in learning.”

Miss NAKIELNY Teacher in elementary schoolPaul Verlaine – Gandrange – Nancy-Metz Academy  

“They are happy to be able to find Idriss who some have known since first grade, they just find it great!”

Miss Ramirez Teacher in elementary schoolMaxime Henriet – Clichy-sous-Bois – Créteil Academy

“The robot was very easy to use. In the context of the class, it was extremely positive and the real added value was really at the social level, more than at the educational level. This little boy was a little boy who already had a very good academic level. What he needed was his friends. Honestly, his friends needed him just as much.”

Miss Maltraversi Teacher at kindergatenLiberté school – Pantin – Créteil Academy

The families

“This Buddy gave us a breath of fresh air every day. This Buddy made my child feel a bit like any other child who has a class and friends. When he entered the small section, my son was known throughout the school. His friends were happy to see him in real life. His return to school went very well. His teacher told me: it looks like Amine has been present in class all year. It was a real pleasure for me as a mother to see my son flourishing in his class after the difficult ordeals he underwent.​​[…] Continue to bring joy to our children through this system. You don’t realize how you can change our lives.”

Amine’s mother

“Jules can no longer go to class, his pace of life depends on his fatigue. He rarely gets out, even from his bed. He is very sociable and loves to talk, which is why this device allows him to open up even more to others. He loves being able to see what’s going on in the whole class, being able to interact by raising his finger and what joy it is to be able to move around (he hasn’t walked independently for several years). A great experience.”​

Jules’s mother

” Very impressed by the robot and its design that children can make their own…The friends asked a lot of questions about Rose’s illness and Rose did not see her friends. It allows to recreate a link…Children love seeing the robot in movement or seeing Rose make smiley faces.”

Rose’s father

The students

“I’m happy to have this because I can be with the others”

JuliaCollege student

“It’s not complicated and it’s fun […] It’s more practical than if the lessons were brought to me by someone else. It’s better. And the most important thing is that I can still see my friends”

GabrielStudent in elementary school

“When I’m with Buddy, I feel good, I think I’m in class even if I miss playing games and going to the canteen with my friends.”​

MelvinStudent in elementary school

FROM THE STERILE ROOM TO THE HOME

Buddy also maintains the family link, thanks to the collaboration with the association The Hope of Princesse Manon, in conjunction with the team of the hemato-oncology department of the Toulouse University Hospital. 

Buddy is deployed within the family home. Using a tablet available in the hospital room, the young patient can call Buddy to connect to it in order to see and hear what is happening at his home.

He can move Buddy as he wishes and depending on what is happening at his place : in the bedroom of one of his brothers or sisters to play remotely with him or her, in the dining room to take part in discussions during the family meal, in the living room to have a snack at the same time as his siblings. With Buddy, it is also possible to create a photo gallery of moments experienced by the family during which the child is not present. He can therefore watch them whenever he wants.

“We welcomed Buddy with a lot of hope about what it could bring to our patients in protective isolation. […] The psychological aspect plays an important part in the long and complicated care journey for a child. He must be a fighter to the end and if his moral drops, the treatment will perhaps be less tolerated Buddy has a real beneficial effect, a socio-physiological impact on the child and his siblings. It reduces the feeling of distance and exclusion for the family.”

Doctor Cécile BoulangerPediatrician at Toulouse University Hospital, specializing in hematology-oncology

“I have some troubles with new technologies but Buddy is really easy to use and it’s a very cute robot! We really appreciated it because it allowed us to maintain the link between brother and sister, not to have that feeling of emptiness. As soon as she got home from school, her sister would connect Buddy to talk with Alexis. They even played hide and seek together thanks to the robot.”

Alexis’s Mother

“Buddy made me feel well because hit allowed me to see my little sister, to see where she was in our house while I was hospitalized​.”

Alexis, 11 years

“L’avantage de Buddy, c’est que l’enfant est indépendant, il commande le robot depuis la tablette, il a le choix de mettre son visage ou d’avoir un avatar s’il n’a pas le moral.”

Thierry GauthierCofondateur de l’association

“Si les parents veulent l’emmener au spectacle de fin d’année du frère ou de la sœur, ils peuvent. Buddy peut parler, prendre des photos, zoomer si l’enfant veut voir de près, comme le petit Gabin qui a un aquarium et peut ainsi suivre ses poissons. L’enfant doit pouvoir être acteur et décider, et cela leur fait un objectif dans la journée”.

Docteur Cécile BoulangerPédiatre au CHU de Toulouse, spécialisée en hémato-oncologie

L’article Buddy sick children avatar est apparu en premier sur BLUE FROG ROBOTICS.

TED-I Program

Never without my class: 1750 Buddy robots in schools 

 
Continuing your education, even while hospitalized, and keeping in touch with your class is now possible thanks to Buddy, the avatar for sick children.From his hospital room, Buddy allows the sick student to interact with his class by emitting signs of interactivity (moods, messages, requests to speak, etc.), to move around the classroom or even follow his friends during recess, in the canteen or on school trips.Buddy is not only a simple tele-education device for sick children. The cute little robot on wheels with its big eyes allows to create social link through its emotional companion aspect, to be accepted as a real class friend. Indeed, the empathetic side of Buddy constitutes a more convincing incarnation than a classic videoconferencing solution, and allows a stronger physical presence of the homebound student. When we know that socialization promotes children’s chances of recovery, Buddy therefore appears like a real superhero. Integration is not only educational but also social.Mainly intended for primary school students aged 5 to 11, Buddy robots allow students to be “tele-present” remotely.

“Not only the students participate in all teaching activities, but they can interact with their environment. Tele-presence robots allow them to move, exchange and register their presence within establishments, which they continue to occupy “physically” ”

Jean-Michel Blanquer, former National Education Minister

TED-i : A unique educational inclusion project in the world

The Ministry of National Education launched this national TED-i program, providing for an initial allocation of 4,000 robotic telepresence systems, intended to be allocated to children and young people, from kindergarten to university, who are prevented by the illness, hospitalized or kept in chronic home care.
Each year, nearly 12,000 students per year are hospitalized for long periods. For these students, the continuity of their school career must be ensured whatever their situation if their hospitalization conditions allow it.
Educational support at home at the hospital or at school (APADHE) is put in place, aiming to maintain educational continuity. In addition and in order to ensure social continuity, namely the human connection with the student’s teachers and classmates, the Ministry of National Education provides tele-presence robots to educational establishments ranging from the start of the primary cycle to university for young children, young adolescents and adults who are seriously ill and for long periods of time, to allow them to continue learning while preserving the link with the school or establishment original.
TED-i aims to mitigate the consequences of the break with the school or training environment of isolated young people, and to facilitate their return to class, both for learning and for the pursuit of real inclusion and socialization.

” We are looking at maintaining the educational link, almost emotional, with the classmates. And this will help the student in his disease pathway. The effects are tangible. As soon as the parents see that, it also gives them a little hope». ​
​

Christophe CARON – TED-i Project Director

Download the Press Kit

TESTIMONIALS

“It’s not complicated and it’s fun…It’s more practical than if the lessons were brought to me by someone else. It’s better. And the most important thing is that I can still see my friends.”

GabrielStudent in CE1
“This Buddy robot is a very nice solution, a tool that puts the child on an equal footing. The best of technology is put at the service of people. The child feels his class. He lives the class.”​

Henri PrévotPrefect of Marne
“When I’m with Buddy, I feel well, I think I’m in class even if I miss playing games and going to the canteen with my friends.”​

MelvinStudent in CE2
“We were impressed when we discovered the device, Nael immediately took charge of Buddy with great ease. Buddy allows Naël to attend school normally without falling behind and it allows him to stay in touch with friends. Buddy allows Naël to see his friends every day to chat with them. »​

Naël’s mother​
“The process is simple. Nael connects to Buddy using the pilot tablet. He can thus be immersed in the class, follow the lessons and even express himself! He easily manipulates the robot remotely and is therefore perfectly integrated into the class. For Nael’s parents, the Buddy robot is reassuring because there is no break in learning.”

Michelle NAKIELNYNaël’s Teacher
« How fortunate to be able to make an absent student present!!! ​Everyone experiences this situation as obvious, a technological advance in the service of humanity. »

Digital education teamNancy-Metz Academy​
“It’s a continuity in his daily life because it was – and therefore remains – his school and his classmates. Idriss always looks forward to being able to teleport to his class, even if this shared learning time often seems far too short to him!”

Idriss’ mother
“Jules can no longer go to class, his pace of life depends on his fatigue. He rarely leaves his bed. He is very sociable and loves to talk, which is why this device allows him to open up even more to others. He loves being able to see what’s going on in the whole class, being able to interact by raising his finger and what joy it is to be able to move around (he hasn’t walked independently for several years). A great experience. ”

Jules’ mother
« This project is seen as obvious by many parents, who would not imagine going back. It’s a unanimous success, serving the well-being of all children.»

Digital education teamNancy-Metz Academy​
“In all illnesses, morale is important, and this brings him a lot. The fact of not being locked in a bubble between home and hospital motivates him”​​

Melvin’s father
“Buddy helps break the isolation of these students, giving them a breath of fresh air in their daily lives affected by illness or an accident.”​​

Olivier DugripAcademic Rector of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
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TED-i Program : telepresence robots for sick kids

Awards – Village Awards 2022

REX – Buddy & Naël in class

Tuto – Telepresence Application

L’article Buddy & Ministry of National Education est apparu en premier sur BLUE FROG ROBOTICS.