At any given meeting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s business school, it’s become standard to have a few telecommuters dial in through a conference line, and one or two come in as robots.
Essentially, these robots, made by Double Robotics, are iPad stands on wheels that enable remote workers to log in from wherever they are, take control of the robot, and experience the environment through the iPad’s camera. Remote workers controlling the robots can move forward, backward, left, and right to wander around the room and make small talk with colleagues, just as if they were there in person. It's not uncommon that two robots have meetings with one another if both workers are remote that day. Additionally, workers can adjust the height of their iPad to alter their vantage point and, in turn, change their perspective around the room. Much more real than the standard live video chat where you’re just a face in the room, the robots allow remote workers to actually take up physical space through their robot.
Image: Double Telepresence Robot Photo: courtesy of MIT
