Telepresence Robots

We all the know robots are going to take over the world in the future. (Hello, we've all seen I, Robot)

In the meantime, what does that mean for telecommuting? Quite a few robotics companies have established technologies that enable workers to feel more present and engaged, without leaving the comfort of their homes or respective far-off places of work. At first, this seemed a little counterintuitive to me. You work from home to take a break from being in the office, but you still want to "be" in the office, and at meetings, and in the hallways, and in the break room. But that initial thought aside, it's actually pretty cool. If you're sick and can't physically be in the office, you can be present in a more dynamic way than a normal video call. If you're the CEO of a company and your time is stretched thin as it is, your robot identity can still troll the halls of the office. If you're a global company and want to hire talent in another country, this gives the employee an opportunity to be more than an occasional presence and feel like part of the team. If you're a doctor and want to provide an increased level of care to your patients, be at their bedside in a jiff.

Revolve robotics has a product called kubi, which hovers around $500, and is the cheapest telepresence robot I've found in my research. While it's a step forward from a normal video call -- namely, it has a mounting dock for your tablet that enables you to pan and tilt your video -- I don't see much value in it, as it doesn't provide any self-sufficient mobility. It's still a fairly stationary video call, not much different than what already exists.

Suitable Technologies has their own version of a telepresence robot, with two different varieties. One is called a Beam+, which stands at 53" high, has a 2 hour runtime, a 10" monitor, and a conversation radius of 8 feet. This version is about $2,000. BeamPro is a step up, standing at 62" high, with an 8 hour runtime and a 17" monitor, able to hold conversations up to 20 feet away. A price quote for this version was not available on the company website, though you can request one through an agent. Both versions add a valuable mobility component, moving at a speed of approximately 2 mph.

Double Robotics, calling their product Double, has a very similar robot design to the beam, but with a higher starting price point of $2,500. That's just the base price, however. It comes with no screen, but is compatible with the iPad Air or iPad Air 2. The charging dock, audio kit, and travel case are all available at an additional price, bringing the total to around $2,900 if everything is purchased.

As much as this is a step forward in the eyes of technical innovation, there are still some drawbacks. Security risks are definitely present, as often sensitive information is being streamed and remotely controlled. Video and audio quality is probably sub-par compared to other stationary video and teleconference equipment. And lastly, the design, while nimble and mobile, doesn't lend itself well to promoting a sense of authority. It's essentially a stick figure with a bobble head -- seems like a rather goofy presence as opposed to a commanding one. Nevertheless, such technology is still in its early stages. There is much room and time for improvement and more advanced and refined models are sure to come.

My question is, how do you get through a door? Dilbert and company feels my pain.

Introduction and Changing Workplace Dynamics

Welcome to my inaugural blog! That's exciting. In the coming weeks, I look forward to exploring the topic of telecommuting in further detail, and its effect on the workplace, decision making and managing styles, and workplace culture, among other topics. I will also explore the changing technologies that are enabling and encouraging the telework phenomenon. Dilbert will also be a regular contributor, because his words are both inspiring and revelational.   

There is no doubt that workplace dynamics are evolving. Increasingly, people are no longer changing their lives to suit the needs of their work, but it's the other way around. Greater flexibility has become a top priority, and seamless global communication is a necessity in today's international business environment. Working from home has evolved from being a perk to being an expected and completely reasonable part of most jobs. But let's go back to the age old question -- do people actually work from home like they say, or is it treated like an undercover day off, with minimal work productivity and a maximum commitment to doing-anything-and-everything-else? Common sense would side with the latter -- with all the distractions and comforts one associates with home, how could any real work possibly get done? When parents have their children running around demanding attention, and the television mercilessly beckons you toward mindless daytime shows, how do work e-mails and PowerPoint presentations even stand a fighting chance? Such logic makes sense, you'd have to agree, but numerous studies have shown and proven quite the opposite. With the broad range of personalities and work styles that exist within any given company, it is safe to say that not everyone values and thrives in the same type of work environment. This idea that a worker has to come into a defined space every day and productively work for eight hours at a stretch is in fact often counterproductive. Think about it -- you most probably sit in a cubicle, work at a computer, have meetings every so often, and take bathroom breaks just to have a change of scenery. Introverts and independent thinkers are thrown into an environment of forced constant collaboration, that annoying coworker is two cubicles away making inappropriate jokes every two seconds, and everyone is on their headsets talking over each other in their respective meetings. Sounds healthy! I'm not saying by any means that in-person office interaction isn't valuable -- it is indeed, for morale, cohesiveness, synchronicity. But having a balance is OK, and should be encouraged. Some people are having a hard time with this culture shift, namely middle management, because it means having less of a physical watchful eye over employees, and giving them more autonomy. It's a shift, by all means, but it's a necessary one.
  

A Harvard Business Review article that addresses the issue of at-home work productivity stated that telecommuters were a lot happier and more productive working from home, and they were less likely to quit and reported higher job satisfaction. The increased productivity was attributed to a variety of factors, as the article goes on to say:

"One-third of the productivity increase, we think, was due to having a quieter environment, which makes it easier to process calls. At home people don’t experience what we call the 'cake in the break room' effect. Offices are actually incredibly distracting places. The other two-thirds can be attributed to the fact that the people at home worked more hours. They started earlier, took shorter breaks, and worked until the end of the day. They had no commute. They didn’t run errands at lunch. Sick days for employees working from home plummeted. Search 'working remotely' on the web, and everything that comes up will be supernegative and say that telecommuters don’t work as hard as people in the office. But actually, it’s quite the opposite."

Famously controversial in the news was when Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer banned working from home, a bold move that resulted in a lot of kick back from telecommuters around the country. Mayer defended her decision by saying that while productivity may be increased when working alone, collaboration and innovation can only happen when people are together. Yahoo was in need of a culture shift, and that’s the direction she wanted to take the company. It wasn't meant to be a critique on the broader idea of working from home, but just what she thought was best for business at that point in time. 

So yes, it’s not always that straightforward, and certain jobs are more conducive to this shift in work style than others. But there is no doubt that these days, companies not only have to think about their bottom line, but creating a culture in which employees feel happy, productive, and free to work in a way that fits their unique mold. And if allowing workers to telecommute once or twice a week is a way to achieve that, then loosen the reins and let go a little, corporate America. 

For those of you who enjoy Ted talks, here is a talk that addresses a lot of the same ideas about the value of telecommuting, namely that in the office, workers don't experience a workday, but a series of work moments due to consistent interruptions. 

Last but not least, what does Dilbert have to say?

Staying in your nightsuit all day and having groundbreaking conversations with your pup while drinking chai? (Yes, Dilbert totally drinks chai.) I'm in.