Education

Case Study: Enhancing Independence and Engagement with Assistive Robotics at Portland College

Background

In 2024–25, Robotics for Good C.I.C. partnered with Portland College, an Ofsted Outstanding specialist education and care provider, to explore how social and assistive robotics could help learners with complex needs build independence, confidence, and engagement in daily activities. This pioneering collaboration centred on deploying a customised temi within one of Portland’s residential settings, to understand how tailored robotic features could complement existing support and enrich learner experiences.

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Co-Designing a Learner-Centred Robotic Solution

The project began with a detailed user needs analysis, including a multidisciplinary personas workshop involving Care, IT, Curriculum, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Behaviour Support. Together, we co-designed a set of robot use cases aligned to learner goals such as improving communication, supporting personal care routines, boosting social confidence, and assisting with day-to-day tasks.

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Building Early Acceptance and Trust: “Party with temi”

To introduce the robot in a positive and engaging way, all residents were invited to a “Party with temi” event. The robot demonstrated games, music, favourite YouTube videos, and interactive features. Learners responded enthusiastically, engaging with quizzes, matching-pair games, and personalised playlists, showing early comfort and curiosity around using the robot.

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Developing Bespoke Features and Digital Tools

Working closely with Portland staff, Robotics for Good designed and implemented a customised Learner App for Temi. Features included:

• Messaging (typed, preset, or spoken)

• Navigation to specific rooms for independent movement

• Zones of Regulation wellbeing recording

• Splint-fitting guidance videos

• Access to staff-created learning materials

• Home Screen links to music, entertainment and informational Apps and websites

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Portland's IT team ensured secure Wi-Fi integration, SharePoint connectivity, and Power App support for well-being capture.

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Pilot Deployment and Evaluation

The robot deployment included a risk assessment, network setup, location mapping and staff and user training. The selected learner used all of the features over the trial period. Staff found the robot reliable, safe, and straightforward to manage. temi also became a valued shared resource for group entertainment; its tiltable screen and good audio made it ideal for communal games and interactive learning sessions.

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Key Insights and Learning

The project identified several important factors to inform future deployments:

• Learner selection must consider motivation for independence, particularly when an established working partnership with one-to-one carers already exists.

• Staff training and ongoing support are essential to embed the robot in daily practice.

• Content creation takes time, and staff need to be allocated time to support this, with multidisciplinary team involvement.

• Trials result in additional opportunities for use emerging. At Portland, these included virtual tours, remote class participation, and smart-home integration with Portland’s Maples smart-home facility.

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Outcomes and Future Opportunities

The project demonstrated that assistive robots can be safely and effectively embedded into a residential SEND environment. Learners enjoyed the robot’s entertainment and social-interaction features, and staff gained skills and confidence in using and managing robotic technology.

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This collaboration has laid strong foundations for expanding robotic support across Portland College. With broader trials, more varied use cases, and continued co-design with staff and learners, temi has shown the potential to become a valuable tool for increasing independence, supporting care teams, and advancing Portland’s leadership in innovative assistive technology.