Robot sits in for student

Devon Carrow attends Winchester Elementary School from home while operating a VGo robot in the school, in West Seneca N.Y., Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013. Carrow's life-threatening allergies don't allow him to go to school. But the 4-foot-tall robot with a wireless video hookup gives him the school experience remotely, allowing him to participate in class, stroll through the hallways, hang out at recess and even take to the auditorium stage when there's a show.

What's most remarkable is how unremarkable this gee-whiz technology is viewed by Devon's classmates. In a class of 7-year-olds raised on video games, avatars and remote-controlled toys, they don't see a robot. They just see Devon.

"In the classroom, the kids are like, 'Devon, come over, we're doing Legos. Show us your Legos,'" says teacher Dawn Voelker.

Devon Carrow attends school remotely from his home in Orchard Park, N.Y.

He has eosinophilic esophagitis, caused by an allergic white blood cell that grows in his stomach and esophagus. He's also got anaphylactic shock syndrome, which causes life-threatening allergic reactions to triggers including milk and peanuts. Even though attacks have put him in the intensive care unit twice in the past 18 months, Devon is outgoing and energetic, a jokester whose personality better suits him to the school experience rather than home-schooling.

For Devon, the VGo offered a chance to go to school for the first time in his life.

Instead of raising his hand in class, Devon activates a light on the VGo.

"I wondered how the little kids would take to him, thinking they'd be amazed," said Principal Kathleen Brachmann. "But I think kids are so tech-savvy now that they accept it more than we do."

Devon Carrow attends school from home while operating a robot in the classroom, in Orchard Park N.Y., Jan. 22, 2013. Carrow's life-threatening allergies don't allow him to go to school. But the 4-foot-tall robot with a wireless video hookup gives him the school experience remotely, allowing him to participate in class, stroll through the hallways, hang out at recess and even take to the auditorium stage when there's a show.

Devon Carrow stands for the Pledge of Allegiance while attending school from home while operating a robot in the classroom, in Orchard Park N.Y., Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013.

The technology broadens Devon's school experience beyond what would be possible through a video chat. The only restrictions are physical.

Winchester Elementary School teacher Dawn Voelker carries a VGo robot up the stairs that is being operated by Devon Carrow while he is attending school, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, in West Seneca N.Y.

The robot senses stairs and stops, but even they aren't insurmountable because, at 18 pounds, the robot is light enough for a teacher to lift. Before moving forward, Devon scans the camera downward to make sure he won't run into a classmate who might be crouching to tie a shoe. The VGo also warns of large objects ahead.

"Walking down a hallway, seeing other kids," Principal Brachmann said. "You couldn't expose somebody on a Skype session that way. It would just be like a TV screen. With this he really gets a feel, a sensation, of being there."

Devon Carrow looks at his weekly goals while attending school from home, Jan. 22, 2013, in Orchard Park N.Y. Carrow's life-threatening allergies don't allow him to go to school.

"We don't treat him any differently," said his teacher, who wears a microphone that amplifies her voice, which helps all of the students (including Devon) hear her.

"He still has to turn in his homework," his teacher said. "He still has to have his mother sign notebooks. He still has a job in this classroom — he's the greeter. And he still has to pay attention — although there's times I look and he's off, the cat's coming in the room."

Classmate Daisy Cook said it was a bit awkward at first when the technology would glitch, and it didn't quite seem fair that Devon got to stay home AND go to school.

"But now it's kind of cool," she said, "because we can communicate together. It's like he was never on the VGo."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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