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