RoboKind

About RoboKind

RoboKind is an education technology company established in 2011, operating from Dallas, Texas. The firm was co-founded by Richard Margolin, his father Fred Margolin, and David Hanson. Richard Margolin, a serial entrepreneur with a background in cognitive neuroscience and mechanical engineering, was inspired to start the company after his work at Hanson Robotics. There, he saw the potential of using expressive robots to teach social skills to children with autism, a concept that was academically researched but not practically applied in schools or homes. His goal was to create a cost-effective and durable robotic solution paired with an expert-developed curriculum to fill this gap.

The company's primary market is K-12 education, specifically targeting special education programs and students on the autism spectrum. RoboKind's business model involves selling or leasing its advanced social robots along with a subscription to its proprietary curricula. This approach provides a scalable solution for school districts, enabling them to support students without needing additional specialized staff. The company's core product is a facially expressive humanoid robot, with models like Milo, that delivers evidence-based curricula. These robots leverage a soft, flexible material called 'frubber' to simulate a wide range of human facial expressions, which is a key component of their teaching methodology. This technology makes the robots less intimidating and more engaging for children with ASD.

RoboKind offers two main programs: RoboKind Social Skills (formerly robots4autism) and RoboKind Phonics. The Social Skills curriculum is a comprehensive, CASE-endorsed program that integrates principles from applied behavioral analysis (ABA), speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy. It covers essential skills like emotional recognition, conversational dynamics, and self-regulation, using the robot, social narratives, and visual aids. To adapt to modern educational needs, the company also developed a virtual avatar version of the program to support remote and blended learning environments. The Phonics program uses the same engaging robot or avatar technology combined with a multi-sensory approach to accelerate early literacy skills, aligning with the Science of Reading.