'Telepresence on wheels' devices give new meaning to mobile videoconferencing

Telepresence critics often point to the relatively high price of dedicated telepresence rooms, which can go underused and generally are devoted to conferences for a very small group of people.

The solution? An increasing number of videoconferencing vendors would suggest solutions that revolve around a fixed camera, be it a webcam or one built into a laptop. Others might champion solutions that take advantage of tablets like the iPad or smartphones, pointing to their mobility.

And, frankly, any of these solutioins is likely increase productivity, reduce costs and help a scattered workforce function more like a team.

But I have a third option: A videoconferencing robot.

Really.

A pair of companies--Anybots and VGo Communications--have begun selling wheeled telepresence robots, which allow a worker to be part of meetings, team building and even office gossip.

The units include a small screen, a camera and audio. They're mounted on motorized wheeled platforms, which allow the user to trundle around an office, join meetings, stop to chat or even carry on a conversation while moving along a hallway with a bipedal humanoid.

MIT Technology Review writer Tom Simonite tried out one of the robots in the magazine's Cambridge, Mass., office while working from his home in San Francisco. His take?

There was a bit of a steep learning curve, especially in piloting the robot around the office. Part of that, he said, was simply the lack of vision the robot had; the camera didn't offer enough of a view. And, he said, the audio could be less-than-satisfactory; apparently the robot's ears need a little more fine tuning.

But, a video of his experience (watch it here) shows more promise than you might imagine.

There is, or course, the requisite footage of the robot bumping into a wall, and the inevitable lost connection that causes Simonite's screen to go dark during a meeting, as well as the laughter from his colleagues.

But, again, all of that can be overcome. Anybots' device, for example, has built in obstacle avoidance. Microphones can be tweaked to be more sensitive to sound. And, if you've ever used a videoconferencing system, regardless of how high end, you've experienced something similar to having your screen go dark.

And, I've been laughed at for worse than going blank in a meeting...

Simonite reports that sales are fairly "tepid" so far; some of that is attributed to the $6,000 to $15,000 price tag, which, frankly seems not so out of line compared to high-end telepresence rooms.

VGo said it has shipped about 200 robots to date. Customers include HP and Cisco, and its VP of product management, Ned Semonite, points out that since the unit is mobile, it adds a new dimension to videoconferencing: "The person who is remote can choose what they want to see and go places beyond the meeting room."

He said the company is working with Verizon on a 4G-connected version that will make it less dependent on Wi-Fi and give the robot more range.

If videoconferencing on wheels isn't enough to interest you... wait a few months, there's more to come.

Colin Angle, co-founder and CEO of iRobot, whose company makes the Roomba vacuum cleaner and the PackBot for the military, says iRobot is working to make a device that has a higher artificial IQ... enough to make it as effective as a remote worker would be in person. Can't wait.--Jim