Medford Student Invents Robot To Help Cancer-Stricken Teacher

Sometimes, all it takes is swift execution of a simple idea to make a positive difference, and get yourself featured on network TV news in the process.

WHDH Channel 7 recently aired a segment on Hunter Raymond, a 17-year-old Medford Vocational Technical High School student. Raymond created a robot that allowed his cancer-stricken teacher to oversee his classroom while recovering from a stem cell transplant at his home.

“We started with Skype,” the teacher, Richard Cormio, told the source, explaining his early attempts to teach remotely.

“Because of the setup of the room and the sun, I couldn’t really see too much. I was only getting glare. Students were asking questions, but I didn’t know who was asking them or anything.”

Clever fellow that he is, Raymond had the elegantly simple idea of attaching Cormio’s tablet to a remote-controlled car-style robot dubbed the Richbot 3000. By controlling the Richbot, Cormio could change his view of the room as if he was there in person.

Cormio used the Richbot during his 14 months in quarantine, but is once again physically present in the classroom.

Check out the original Channel 7 story and video here.

Image Credit: WHDH Channel 7

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