Telepresence

The term telepresence refers to any form of technology that allows a person to be present in a given environment without actually being there. There are two main types of telepresence: one is essentially an advanced form of video conferencing; the other uses robotic devices that allow a person to navigate in an environment and interact with people and objects there from a remote location. Regardless of how it is implemented, telepresence provides a way for people to be present in a particular location even when they cannot be there physically. Telepresence has many practical applications and is increasingly being used in many professional settings such as business offices, hospitals, and schools. Robotic telepresence is a particularly fast-growing technology that is quickly becoming a part of everyday life in a variety of professional fields.

Background

The idea of telepresence was first suggested by pioneering computer scientist Dr. Marvin Minsky, who was widely known as the father of artificial intelligence. Minsky coined the term “telepresence” in a 1980 essay published in Omni, a science periodical. In the essay Minsky explains that telepresence has the potential to transform the nature of employment and create a professional environment in which the value of human skills would dramatically increase as workers were no longer restricted to working for a local employer. In other words, telepresence would give workers greater employment flexibility because it would allow them to seek employment anywhere regardless of their own physical location. However, Minsky noted that some may consider telepresence to be a dangerous form of technology that could ultimately lead to replacing human workers with machines, which could cause mass unemployment. In any event, Minsky touted telepresence as a powerful, transformative tool that would—in one way or another—majorly impact the way people live and work.

It is important to note that Minsky’s conception of telepresence differs somewhat from how it is viewed today. Minsky envisioned telepresence as a form of teleoperation. Although the terms “telepresence” and “teleoperation” are sometimes used interchangeably and have some similarities, they are distinct. Teleoperation is the direct projection of a user’s capabilities into a remote physical location through remotely controlled devices. Teleoperation allows a remote user to manipulate objects in a different environment. For example, using teleoperations, a user may be able to operate a machine in a different environment. Telepresence, on the other hand, only allows a person to be “present” in a remote environment. While telepresence may allow a person to navigate a remote environment, it does not permit him or her to physically manipulate that environment. Although Minsky thought of telepresence as a way of improving the experience of teleoperation, telepresence eventually came to be known as a separate concept and developed into a separate technology that can be used on its own.

Overview

Telepresence is a way for someone to effectively be present in a given physical environment from a remote location. This functionality is typically achieved through either advanced video conferencing or robotics. However it is accomplished, telepresence allows people to maintain an active presence in their work environment even when they cannot be there physically. This makes telepresence a potentially valuable tool for both employers and employees.

The video conferencing version of telepresence is aimed at allowing people to participate in meetings from remote locations in a way that seems as if they are really in the room. This type of telepresence involves the use of an array of advanced video conferencing technologies, including multiple monitors, microphones, multi-channel speakers, and state-of-the-art teleconferencing software. Often, large telepresence monitors are placed together in a wall-like arrangement that provides a panoramic view of the remote participant and his or her location. Remote participants may also make use of a multiple camera setup to enhance the spatial accuracy of the display image and make it look as if they are really there. Essentially, telepresence video conferencing provides a much more immersive and interactive experience than normal video conferencing.

Robotic telepresence is designed to provide users with a more dynamic, non-stationary remote presence. With the help of robotics, users can physically navigate a remote environment and interact with all the people there. Robotic telepresence involves the use of a mobile robot controlled remotely via computer, tablet, or smartphone. This robot is equipped with a display screen and speakers that allow people in its physical environment to see and hear the person using it. It is also equipped with a video camera and microphones that allow users to see and hear everything in its physical environment. In addition, the display screen on a telepresence robot is attached to an elongated base with some sort of wheels. This allows users to control the robot’s movements and remotely navigate its physical environment as people would do if they were really there.

Telepresence has many practical applications. In addition to allowing remote employees to maintain an active presence in the workplace, telepresence can be used to safely carry out work in hazardous environments or execute nanoscale operations that would be impossible to do by hand. Telepresence can also be used to perform certain types of minimally invasive surgery. While these uses incorporate teleoperation technology as well, telepresence is a key element of such operations. Moreover, the usefulness of telepresence is likely to expand as the associated technology improves and people invent new ways of remotely interacting with various physical environments.

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