ROBOTOD · The first toddlers-optimized, AI-based social robot supporting early and friendly 2nd language acquisition

Language skills are a top priority for the modern society. Yet English as a second language learning is progressively starting at earlier ages in public schools (e.g., 6-8 years in EU) many children around the world are missing the critical period (1-4 years old), in which a second language can be acquired as a second mother tongue, and starting too late causes failures and frustration to both children & parents. To be effective, early second language learning in toddlers (1-4 years) requires social interaction and curiosity stimulation. Current solutions (mostly non-interactive, screen-based apps.) are: ineffective for toddlers as optimized for school children (>6 years); not academically validated; in most cases unaffordable. Curiosity Robotics (CR) offers a disruptive solution: a plush-like novel robot (RoboTod), simple and appealing to the infant and loaded with AI and sensors, supporting personalization and long-term interactions. RoboTod will support infants’ physical interactions and teamwork with parents, teaching English As A Second Language while simultaneously stimulating child curiosity. RoboTod is optimized for toddlers, not dependent on screens or speech-recognition, cost-effective (4-20 fold cheaper than competitors), and with a rich content academically validated by over 30 years of linguistic experience of Helen Doron (over 1,000 schools and 155,000 students). After fully developed in phase 1-phase 2 projects (2019-2021), RoboTod will first target Europe (>7 million potential users, €0.9 billion market) and then China (€4 billion market) by following a B2B2C strategy, starting in schools of its strategic partner Helen Doron (850 schools in Europe) combined with local partners for distribution, shipping and customer’s support. Robotod´s market launch is foreseen for Q3 2021, achieving 5-year cumulative revenue of €60.1 million, while contributing to the European Council priority of ´enhancing the learning of languages´ across Europe.