Movia Robotics Continues To Serve Schools, Clinics, Families

By Jamila Young, The Bristol Press

May 19, 2022

Movia Robotics has been serving schools, clinics, and families in Connecticut and around the world since it was founded by UConn Researcher, Timothy Gifford in 2010.

They are located in Bristol at 72 Prospect Place. Their aim is towards children ages three to early teens, who have autism or special needs.

CEO, JP Bolat has a son on the autism spectrum, and saw the opportunity to improve the lives of children and families. He also has an M.S in Astronautical Engineering and an MBA.

Aside from businesses using the robot, Bolat said families can purchase a robot for their child for their home. The home system called HomePal has a starting price of $199/month for the first year, and then $85/month afterwards for the white glove software and content support. The enterprise systems for schools and clinics start at $5000 for the first year, and $3000 every year after that for the software license and content.

“We offer our systems directly to families. We consult with each family from members of our Education Department that consists of educators and clinicians,” said Bolat. “As for insurance coverage, we are actively pursuing FDA certifications for our systems. Once certified, they will be qualified for reimbursements. Currently, families in need are using charitable donations, corporate donations, and Medicaid waiver funds to cover the costs. Our goal is to get a system to all those in need.”

He said that they have over 400 Robot-Assisted Instruction system deployed in eight countries.

“Our largest customer is the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, and we have 145 systems deployed in 40 DoDEA schools on U.S. military bases around the world,” said Bolat. “We also have systems in Canada, Japan, Australia, and England, in schools, homes, and therapy clinics. In Connecticut we have our robots in Bristol, Hartford, Wallingford, Middletown, Wolcott, Bridgeport, and several other school systems. During COVID, we deployed our systems into homes directly, and have our HomePal systems in nearly 100 homes.”

Bolat said the systems consist of a robot, a tablet, and a laptop computer. The laptop is used by a teacher, parent, or therapist who will select the appropriate lesson for the child, and the child will answer through the tablet. “Our systems are highly configurable and can be uniquely configured to each child in the classroom. The robot addresses each child by name and delivers the educational or therapeutic lessons differently and uniquely for each individual,” said Bolat.

The system’s battery life is between three and four hours when fully charged, and Bolat said each component of the system comes with its own charger, and does not require internet access.

“We do this to ensure reliability and privacy. Our systems are the only ones on the market that do not require internet access to operate. This is a distinct advantage for data privacy and performance,” said Bolat.

Movia consists of Education Specialists, Teachers, Education Administrators, and Clinicians led by a former principal of special needs and their Clinician Advisory Board of Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, and other licensed professionals.

“It is a collaborative process to assess the needs and solutions, and we ensure that the end customer is fully satisfied before they embark on the journey with our robots,” said Bolat. “During the consultations, we discuss the particular needs and goals of the child and family, and we work to tailor a program for each individual. Our systems are highly configurable and easy to use, so that after our consultation and training, parents, therapists, and teachers are able to use the system with ease. What's more, our support does not stop there. After, sales support continues with each customer having a dedicated chat line with our professionals so that we can continue to assist, advise, and support throughout the journey.”

Bolat said Movia is currently working on a system for adult transitions, job training, and vocational services.