“Pepper @ Schule”: Robot a Big Hit in P.E. Lessons
01. July 2024
The girl robot Pepper was a big hit with pupils when it visited the middle school for sports in the town of Steyr and a primary school in Linz as part of the “Pepper macht Schule” (“Pepper @ school”) project. Acting as a second P.E. teacher, Pepper had prepared a lesson packed with action and fun. The pupils enjoyed the activities enormously. One of the lesson’s highlights was a sports-based version of the well-known parlour game, musical chairs. The robot trainer supervised the children as they all joined in with great enthusiasm. At the end of the lesson, the young athletes at the middle school had the chance to show how fast their reactions were in a robot-led reaction training session.
"As the lead company for research of the province of Upper Austria it is our aim to stimulate young people’s interest in the fascinating world of science and research. With this initiative we want to introduce modern technology to children through games and fun and awaken in them a long-lasting interest in technology. We are happy to embrace innovative approaches that make a significant contribution to achieving this object and do what we can to support them."
The innovative initiative “Pepper macht Schule” (Pepper @ school) was launched by Upper Austrian Research GmbH (UAR), the lead company for research of the province of Upper Austria, and the Steyr-based research company PROFACTOR GmbH. It was carried out as a pilot project at the Middle School for Sports in Steyr and the Schulverein der Kreuzschwestern, a Catholic primary school in Linz. Two classes of younger pupils at the sports school in Steyr and a second-year class at the primary school in Linz had the chance to get to know Pepper, the humanoid robot, in a P.E. lesson filled with fun and games. The activities led by the robot were a hit with pupils and teachers alike.
Pepper, the robot girl, has already proved its worth in a research project with sports clubs carried out by the research company PROFACTOR in cooperation with partners. The results showed that training with the robot can have positive effects on the motivation of athletes at sports clubs. The success of this research project was the spark that started the “Pepper macht Schule” initiative, which is coordinated by UAR with PROFACTOR responsible for the technical implementation.
“Digitalization continues to advance – from the world of work to our own four walls,” says Dr. Christoph Breitschopf, CEO of PROFACTOR GmbH. “Fitness apps and sports watches are extremely popular with amateur athletes, too, since they offer numerous incentives. As a research centre, we’ve gone a step further by introducing Pepper in sport, to relieve the burden on coaches on the one hand, and as a particular motivation for young athletes on the other. We see the benefits in a number of different scenarios – because with Pepper, fun is always guaranteed.”
