ROBOCOP REALCARE BABY. Eau Claire-based company Realityworks is perhaps best known for its globally-utilized infant simulator, RealCare Baby. This year, Realityworks announced the biggest update to it in a decade. (Photo via Realityworks.com)

I remember the day I took home RealCare Baby. I was in eighth grade health class at South Middle School, and instead of craving the weekend, I was dreading it. The time had come: our whole health class had to care for one of these robo-babies until Monday morning when we could drop them back off, in their car seat, back at school.

Today, more than 70% of U.S. school districts – and a total of over 1,100 schools and organizations across Wisconsin and Minnesota alone, according to Realityworks – have these RealCare Babies. 

Looking ahead, those lucky students part of a class or program which utilizes RealCare Babies will have the most advanced version ever: RealCare Baby 4.

Realityworks, Inc., the company behind RealCare Babies, was established over 25 years ago in Eau Claire. Over that time, the business has expanded to create experiential learning tools for all types of programming and careers: sex education, health and human services, health sciences, and agriculture sciences, among others.

The level of realism has increased along with advances in technology. For instance, the original RealCare Baby (then known as Baby Think It Over) used a key that students had to twist in its back to acknowledge a care event. It cried for care when it needed to be fed and changed. –Emily Kuhn, senior campaigns specialist

RealCare Baby 4 – “the world’s most advanced infant simulator," a recent media release noted – comes with a few key updates, including Bluetooth. (I remember when my eighth grade class had its turn with the RealCare Babies. We, too, had just received the then-latest version. Yes, my Baby was just fine through the weekend. No, not all of my classmates were as successful. Learning moments.)

“(RealCare Baby 4 is) a next-generation version of the infant simulator that’s been used in classrooms across the country – and right here in the Chippewa Valley – for decades,” the media release states. “It’s the first major update in more than 10 years and comes packed with new features like Bluetooth connectivity, tummy time tracking, giggling and babbling sounds, and a revamped student app.”

Part of getting to this point – RealCare Baby 4, that is – is learning what worked well and what didn’t in its previous versions. Originally developed “to address teen pregnancy prevention,” the tool still supports lessons in early childhood education and parenting and basic infant care skills.

Here's a tip from my own eighth grade experience: I would suggest not allowing a sleepover with three students who also have these Babies, making for a grand total of three Babies under one roof. It's a lot of crying. And it sets off the other Babies.

“We measure success in the classroom in several ways. Most of it is anecdotal – teachers report increased student engagement, recruitment, post-simulation feedback (both from students and their parents/guardians,” Emily Kuhn, Realityworks senior campaign specialist, explained.

“The level of realism has increased along with advances in technology,” Kuhn continued. “For instance, the original RealCare Baby (then known as Baby Think It Over) used a key that students had to twist in its back to acknowledge a care event. It cried for care when it needed to be fed and changed.”

Today, RealCare Baby has sensors to note how much time it spends in its car seat, when it’s dressed appropriately for the temperature, when it’s being burped or rocked, and more. If your kiddo takes one of these Babies home for a weekend like I did in middle school, it's pretty fair to say you'll get an immersive experience.

(Here's a tip from my own eighth grade experience: I would suggest not allowing a sleepover with three students who also have these Babies, making for a grand total of three Babies under one roof. It's a lot of crying. And it sets off the other Babies.)

Learn more about Eau Claire-based Realityworks online.