8 thoughts on “Low cost telepresence robot (US)”

  1. Now if it can work with 7″ tablets like the Google Nexus 7….inventor Claire Delaunay has really got something here. Interesting fact is that the caller has to be calling from a PC, Mac or Linux computer–no phones (but she’s working on it) 😮 Also it should be noted that this is a Kickstarted enterprise.

  2. I love it.
    If it could be set up so that when you dialled in it could automatically turn on then it would be perfect for people who care for a loved one that for various reasons cannot answer the phone themselves. An excellent emergency device if mum or dad aren’t answering their home phone then you can ring this device and it automatically turns on and you can move it around areas of the property.

    Love it.

  4. Would auto answer not constitute as ‘covert surveillance’? Something only the police are allowed to do.

    I can understand family being able to auto answer but as this is using SKYPE, how would the facility be set to stop any SKYPE address calling and being auto answered.

    One for the designer and ethics bods to mull over.

  5. [quote name=”Alasdair Morrison”]Would auto answer not constitute as ‘covert surveillance’?…..One for the designer and ethics bods to mull over.[/quote]

    It is not how it works now but how we want it to work – an argument had many times with suppliers when attempting to sell us something that they say we want as opposed to what people actually need. Hopefully for every single reason we cannot do something there are two reasons why we should.

    In this instance the phone could be made to bleep or flash when it is auto answered. It could have a slight image distorter so you get outlines but not high definition. It could be adapted for those that have sensory impairment. It could be It could be It could be many many things.

    Some of us are stuck in the world of the worst case scenario, possibly through no fault of our own. We all take risks every day of our lives. Crossing the road has potentially more risk attached to it than someone Skypeing me that I don’t know and watching me eat my flakes of corn.

    Telehealth, Telecare, Telemedicine, Telejogging, Teleparagliding are risky because they are not ‘proven’ against what we have done for the last 2000 years. But I am looking to the next 2000 years and saying let’s jump.

    So yes I agree Alasdair it is one for the ethics bods and the designers – but that is us; everyone of us.

  6. I was thinking about ordering one for Teledogwatching … but if you want it to beep and flash when it autoanswers it will wake him from his slumbers!

    Then I got sensible and decided I wasn’t buying the pooch his own android phone and set of wheels. It is unlikely he will save up for one – his pocket money goes on the considered purchase of toys and things to chew.

    Being serious of course this raises ethical questions but as UNATTR (hope it is okay to abbreviate you) says we cannot wait for the ethics guru and the designer guru to decide everything for us. This has potential for families to consider introducing at a point where the person has ability to understand and interact; ie at a preventative point rather than meeting an assessed need

    By the way where do I sign up for the Teleparagliding? anyone?

  7. Teleparagliding is coming. I just have a few hurdles, with the ‘traditionalists’ as always, to get over and we are sorted. I am at the PTG stage so should be proven and with us in 20 years.

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