Meet Phyll Us! New interactive technology that takes students on a virtual ride

Submitted photos by the CCRSB. 

Submitted photo by CCRSB from Phyll-Us recent trip to the Nova Scotia Art Gallery. 

Story by Amanda Doucette
There’s a new student in the Chignecto-Central School Board.

Phyll Us is an interactive, tele-presence robot that is now helping students access more field trips and learning experiences.

“She is one of the most intriguing things that I have ever seen. It doesn’t matter what age group that she is brought around, people flock to her,” said CCRSB communications assistant, Paige Clarke.

Phyll Us is controlled by an app or website and while students and teachers are in the classroom, she travels with a tablet attached, projecting a virtual video back to the classroom.

Phyll Us is the first of her kind in Nova Scotia, and was introduced in late February. Phyll Us took her first field trip to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in March with grade three and four students from Cyrus Eaton Elementary School.

Clarke was at Cyrus Eaton while students were virtually touring the art gallery. She says the level of technology being provided to students is intriguing, and she still can’t believe this is in Nova Scotia schools.

“In the office, I think we were really just shocked that this sort of technology is available and in our schools. For the kids, it seems more normal to have her around, but they are all still so excited about what she can do.”

Phyll Us is designed by a company called Double Robotics and is the first of it's kind to hit Nova Scotia.

“It (Phyll Us) allows teachers more flexibility in the schools and causes less disruption to teachers and students class time. It can also be used to go into environments that cannot easily accommodate students or where transportation costs could prohibit students’ visits or limit the time on location,” said Louise Haycocks, the technology integration consultant for the CCRSB, in a CCRSB press release.