Revolve Robotics’ Kubi tabletop telepresence bot is a new, affordable approach to an old problem.
Story by Dave Michels, No Jitter
Telepresence robots sort of make sense — they are intriguing devices that use a variety of UC technologies to enable management by wandering around… for remote managers. They’ve been of limited applicability, though, because of their prices and operational limitations.
Beam from Suitable Technologies, for example, provides a physical avatar that can roam the halls in search of interaction. Behind the curtain the remote participant uses the arrow keys to operate the robot’s motion and view. A front-facing camera and set of microphones captures sights and sounds, while a downward-facing camera provides path visibility. The webcam and microphone on the operator’s local computer gives the bot a face and voice.