Imagine an everyday life where your forehead acts as an access card to your local grocery store. An intelligent robot effortlessly adjusts its height and measures your temperature; if you do not have a fever you can move into the store.

The scenario may not be that far into the future at all. The startup Really A Robot from Aalborg University (AAU) has developed a robot with the appropriate name '#NoFever'. The robot is equipped with a sensor that can measure your temperature with such great accuracy that it is medically approved and among the safest on the market.

Fever is one of the most frequently occurring symptoms of covid-19, and therefore it is a good indicator for spotting cases of illness and thus minimizing or completely avoiding the risk of infection. #NoFever ensures that no one in the store has a fever, and the robot can thus create security for the shoppers and at the same time save the stores and society several millions.

In addition to measuring your temperature, #NoFever can also determine whether your mask fits correctly using artificial intelligence; a technology that can also be used for e.g. to replace ID cards at workplaces.

WANT TO CREATE SECURITY WHEN YOU SHOP

Behind Really A Robot are Jevgenijs Galaktionovs and Hugo Markoff, both of whom are studying robotics at AAU, which they will complete in the summer 2019. They love building robots, and their big dream is to develop a robot that can clean the world's oceans. Right now, however, they are focusing 100% on creating a robot that makes us feel safe when we move around among other people in stores and at workplaces.

STUDENTS BRING NEW SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO THE TABEL

In their work with #NoFever, Jevgenijs Galaktionovs and Hugo Markoff quickly recognized that they needed help from outside of their startup.

- We are first and foremost technicians, so we knew very well that we had to get help to understand the market and our competitors in order to be successful with our robot, explains managing director Jevgenijs Galaktionovs.

In September 2020, Really A Robot therefore became part of the EU project Scandinavian Growth Creators (SGC) at AAU. Here they were paired with a group of students who helped them develop their startup over a period of four months.

- It was extremely valuable to work together with motivated students with skills that we do not have ourselves. Among other things, their work made it easier for us to compare ourselves with other solutions on the market. We also gained valuable insight into our strengths and weaknesses. Eg. #NoFever complies with all GDPR rules, and the students showed us how we could use it as a competitive parameter on the Danish and European markets, says Hugo Markoff.

FACILITATED PROCESS WAS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Learning consultants from AAU have facilitated the collaboration between Really A Robot and the students throughout the period. During seven teaching sessions, which are built around the Google Design Sprint, the students have learned to solve complex problems or develop and test new products; knowledge they have been able to use directly in the collaboration with Really A Robot.

- We have not just been put together with a group of students who made a 20-page report for us. It has been a facilitated process, where the students have been helped by the SGC team, so we were sure that we were getting help with something that could create value for us, says Jevgenijs Galaktionovs and elaborates:

- This is why we have gained so much from the collaboration. It is not only the finished result that has been valuable to us. It is the whole process before, during and after the sessions where we have really learned a lot about the idea, product and indeed our whole startup.

You can read more about Really A Robot on their website or LinkedIn. You can also watch a presentation of #NoFever on YouTube.