If you’ve ever seen something that looks like an iPad on a Segway, you’ve just witnessed the future. These are called telepresence robots and they’re becoming more commonplace as their mobility and connectivity add a new dimension to remote communication which is un-reproducible by smartphones or other larger, bulky teleconferencing systems.
With telepresence robots can provide a presence when absenteeism was the only other previous alternative. From education, healthcare, business, and manufacturing, telepresence robots help people engage with others when they can’t appear personally. And the industry is only booming as the telepresence robot markets was at $825 million in 2015 and expected to reach $3 billion by 2020 and $7 billion by 2022 as this next generation of robotic devices, systems, and instruments will include grippers and cameras of all types, sensors and sophisticated navigation software.
Today on ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ RJ Wafer, head of business development at Double Robotics and Michele Kuszajewski, Assistant Director at Duke University’s Nursing School sat down to discuss the prevalence and importance of telepresence.
RJ WAFER“Picture an iPad on a stick on a Segway that you can control from anywhere in the world. You can autonomously navigate yourself through day.”
“I’ve known Marc and David for a little while, when they asked me to come onboard I told them I wasn’t going to move to California. I’m a head on a stick in the meetings.”
“Now you can turn and look at the person who is speaking.”
“Everyone makes decisions once the meeting is over. Now you can be part of the culture of the office. “
“Around noon when everyone comes into the office, there’s my head on a stick so they can access me whenever.”
“I’ve given talks from my couch in Brooklyn to Australia at 3am.”
“In January we debuted the Double 2 which has a shock absorber.”
“It’s crucial that the Double is stable in the health care environment.”
“We have a doctor who uses his Double to do his rounds at the same time go to dinner with his family.”
“The device weighs 16 pounds and goes from about 4 feet tall to 5.”
“Education is a big part of our marketplace.”
“We have kids who are homebound with illness. With the Double they can get away from being tethered to sickness.”
“You can drive it through an iOS device or a Chrome browser.”
“We’ve been used in museums for tours. We did a test with a British Museum and autistic kids.”
“Tokyo Police Club just had a competition where the winner could go to the show via telepresence robot.”
“The Double is intended for indoor-use, but it’s a short learning curve to learn how to drive.”
“We had a man who’s been bedridden since he was 4 and was able to attend a conference in Vancouver that he’d never be able to otherwise.”
“He said we gave a freedom he’d never be able to have.”
“The novelty goes away quickly because you’re trying to get something done.”
“Some people put a bell around it so it can sneak up on you.”
“Some people personalize it with a shirt. We had a kid go to prom and put a feather boa around it.”
“We had two Doubles on the red carpet for BAFTA.”
“The 360-degree robot is the same base as the Double, but the head is a 360 camera.”
“The problem with VR is that you get the crew in the shot. Now you can control that camera from anywhere in the world.”
“The way that video and VR are emerging, you’ll be able to throw on goggles and go to a live event as a robot.”
“The price of entry is $3000.”
“If you find that you always need to be in two places at once, if you’re on paternity or maternity leave, the Double can do the job.”
“There are simple rules like where do you keep the robot, where does it live. You have to treat the robot as if it’s a person in the room. Give it their own area.”
“No closing doors, we don’t have arms. We can’t get up and down stairs without help.”
“Treat the person on the robot the same as you would treat the person.”
“When we reflect back on conversations I can’t remember if I was on the robot or if I was actually there. It’s that realistic.”
“Try to get through a conference call without seeing anyone’s face—it’s impossible.”
“Our Masters program went distance-based and now uses computer-based mannequins to learn how to care for potential patients.”
“Telepresence has been used in treating health care for some time.”
“The nurse practitioner wheels into the room and helps train during the simulation.”
“It’s becoming more utilized in the healthcare world so our students are gaining confidence in using tech early on.”
“Instead of having that static Skype, the Double shows real presence.”
“Our students feel like that person really felt like part of the their team.”
“The development of the equipment is built so it’s very engaging.”
“We have a lot of people who need speciality treatment or consults, so telepresence will get to the people who need help.”
“We’re incorporating these technologies so they won’t be surprised by them in the workplace.”
“We have a lot of 21st Century learners who were interested in tech. The introduction of telepresence was pretty seamless.”
“We had a team member who won an award but couldn’t make it so he sent a telepresence robot.”
“You think of things that you might have to miss out on but with telepresence robots you wouldn’t have to.”
“We were training our students to do a wound assessment in an at-home visit using telepresence.”
“We incorporate our online students with our on campus students via telepresence and learn together.”
“One of my first hesitations was about losing the engagement with one another. But the students did not find it to be a distraction. It’s the mobility of the equipment.”
“The students are accepting, the transition was seamless so we’ve incorporated telepresence into our education.”
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