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      RoboticsTopicTypeSpectrum CollectionsVideo

      Testing My New Robot Body

      A week at the IEEE Spectrum offices through the cameras of a telepresence robot

      Erico Guizzo
      13 Oct 2010
      Testing My New Robot Body
      www.youtube.com
      industrial robotshumanoid robotstype:videoQBSkypeteleoperationtelepresenceAnybotsAI

      Transcript of Video

      Erico Guizzo: Early this year, I showed up to work with a new body. This robotic version of myself is a QB telepresence robot. It allowed me to go the office without actually leaving my house.

      I borrowed this robot from a company in California called Anybots, which sells each unit for US $15 000. Several other companies are selling telepresence robots, and they're being touted as the future of work.

      My QB arrived in New York in a huge plastic box, and it came with a human companion: Anybots engineer Erin Rapacki. Her job was to help set up the robot.

      Erin Rapaki: When you receive your robot, the robot will be packed away. It will be about three feet tall.

      It's not exactly plug and play: Rapacki had to load batteries on the robot and configure its computer so it could work on our network.

      Erin Rapacki: "All right, signing into Skype."

      Now it was my turn to take control. From my home in Brooklyn, I connected to the robot and rolled into the hall to find my coworkers.

      The QB robot looks a bit like a floor lamp, but my colleagues seemed to like it. Well, maybe not everyone.

      Phil Ross: "I know you think you've got a stronger processor than me…"

      Learning to drive was very easy. I used the arrow keys on your keyboard to steer, just like a video game.

      The QB rolls on a self-balancing base, and it has two cameras on the head. One camera faces forward, while the second faces down so you can see obstacles on the floor.

      I managed to pilot the robot to the conference room to attend several meetings. It was really an improvement over trying to listen to a group of people using a speakerphone. I could hear better, and when I talked, people looked at the robot, so I felt like they were paying attention to me.

      But my favorite interactions were the informal ones, when I just went to see my coworkers at their offices or when I ran into them in the corridors.

      Nancy Hantman: "What are you having at home, electronic circuits?"
      Erico Guizzo: "Um, just some coffee."

      Now, being a robot is not a perfect existence. The little video screen on the robot's head wasn't working. Instead of showing video of my face, it could only show a static image. The office didn't have good Wi-Fi coverage, and when the Wi-Fi was slow, the video would be garbled. A couple times I actually got disconnected from the robot. It turns out that my robot needed its own human assistant.

      But I mostly enjoyed my experience, and I can see why companies that have many offices and employees might want these robots. They won't replace other videoconference systems, and they won't replace most travel anytime soon. But I think these robots will get better and cheaper, and they will become a common sight. Everyone will get used to them. Well, almost everyone.

      Phil Ross: "Well, I think you're just yellow!"

      For IEEE Spectrum, I'm Erico Guizzo.

      The Conversation (0)

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      360 Video: Zoom Over Zanzibar With Tanzania’s Drone Startups

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      Evan Ackerman

      Evan Ackerman is a senior editor at IEEE Spectrum. Since 2007, he has written over 6,000 articles on robotics and technology. He has a degree in Martian geology and is excellent at playing bagpipes.

      Michael Koziol

      Michael Koziol is an associate editor at IEEE Spectrum where he covers everything telecommunications. He graduated from Seattle University with bachelor's degrees in English and physics, and earned his master's degree in science journalism from New York University.

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      You can follow the action in a 360-degree video in three ways: 1) Watch on your computer, using your mouse to click and drag on the video; 2) watch on your phone, moving the phone around to change your view; or 3) watch on a VR headset for the full immersive experience.

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      360 Video: Go on a Mission With Zipline’s Delivery Drones

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      Michael Koziol is an associate editor at IEEE Spectrum where he covers everything telecommunications. He graduated from Seattle University with bachelor's degrees in English and physics, and earned his master's degree in science journalism from New York University.

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      www.youtube.com
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      Do your travel plans include New York City? Are you a techie? If the answer to those questions is yes, let IEEE Spectrum be your guide! We've put together a list of some of our favorite places to visit, including important locations in the history of electrotechnology (New York was once the center of the electrical and electronic world) and places where fun and interesting things are happening today. See where Nikola Tesla lived, check out cutting-edge artists working with technology, or take the kids to see an Atlas and Titan rocket.

      All the locations are accessible via the subway, and many are free to visit. If you do visit, take a selfie and post a link in the comments below.

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