Telepresence Takeover

“It’s much easier to enjoy the picturesque route we travel when you remove the specter of fiery vehicular death” – Dr. Sheldon Cooper of CBS’s The Big Bang Theory.

The character, Sheldon Cooper, takes the use of telepresence robots to the extreme.  Not only does he make his roommate drive the robot back and forth to work, Cooper also uses the robot to go out to dinner with his friends.  A telepresence robot is a machine controlled remotely in order to provide the user a independently mobile virtual presence in location physically separate from his or her own.  While there is comedic value in such use, the outlandish employment of a telepresence robot illustrates the versatility of such devices.  Outside consultants or employees from different branches would greatly benefit from having a physical presence on location for facility tours or meetings.  Telepresence robots allow for this presence without the expense and delay associated with travel.  These devices increase productivity by speeding the process of business trips and providing more normalized social interactions.

Customizable Experience

Using robots is not the only level available in telepresence technology.  Indeed, services such as Skype can serve in a more limited capacity.  Video calls add value to communications.  Both ends of the call are able to see the other person, which encourages a bond between users.  It may not be possible for the person virtually visiting to move about the location on his or her own, yet with tablet computers and smartphones the person can still be given a tour.  Various levels of technology give companies the ability to tailor telepresence to meet the companies’ needs.

Cost and Design

According to Forbes, the cost for a telepresence robot can be as low as $200.  These low-end models are very limited in their functionality and their small size limits the comfort of a person’s interaction with the unit (Olson, 2013).  On the other end of the spectrum is iRobot’s Ava 500.  Retailing for around $70,000, the Ava 500 has a flat screen monitor atop a 5’5” column.  This height is a median between a sitting and standing person so that those interacting with the unit will physically be more comfortable.  The Ava 500 also has guidance sensors to help the unit avoid obstacles.  The user can control the robots movement directly or allow the unit to follow preprogrammed routes.

Telepresence Robot Use

The Ava 500’s cost may seem staggering.  However when the cost of airfare, hotels, food, car rentals, and the time lost traveling are calculated, $70,000 for a device that has a lifespan of years and minimizes other costs does not seem unreasonable.  Imagine if a nationwide business had at least one such device on-hand at each of its locations.  An executive at one location needing to attend a meeting or inspect a new production facility at any other location could be there in a matter of minutes.  As the cost of the technology continues to fall, adoption of these devices will become more widespread and untether workers from the geographic region of their employer.

References

Diep, F. (2013). Creators of Roomba to sell a telepresence robot. Retrieved from http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-06/roombas-makers-sell-telepresence-robot

Olson, P. (2013). Rise of the telepresence robots. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2013/06/27/rise-of-the-telepresence-robots/