Now we work at the problem how to improve the Endurance telepresence robots and make them the best.

A telepresence robot is a kind of a tablet on wheels. It gives and opportunity to communicate with other people remotely. It can be used, for example, by parents who would like to talk with their kids when they are away from home. It can also help your business partners from Japan to be present at your meeting. And your clients will find it useful if it allows them to visit your company remotely. In short, see it with your own eyes:

Imagine that you are going to buy a telepresence robot. What features will be more important for you?
1) How cool the robot looks (design)?
2) A three year guaranty of operation or one year will be enough for a significantly cheaper price?
3) What price looks reasonable for you if you buy the robot for a) yourself to communicate with your family when you away from home, working for half a year in another town b) for your company?
4) Quality of the control: a) how well it wheels and how well you feel the space where the robot operates; b) quality of the design; c) quality of the digital interface?
5) Quality of the web camera that shows you space. Will you prefer an expensive HD web camera or a simple one is enough?
6) How important is the performance time of the battery? Will 3 hours be enough?
7) Is the quality of the internet connection very important to you, or will you put up with some minor connection problems for a cheaper price?
8) Would you like to have also a manipulator for an additional price?
9) Would you like to have some special design for your robot: an option to choose its color or to add your company branding?
10) Anything else what we missed?

Please, share with us your ideas

Technology Review’s I.T. Editor, Tom Simonite, reviews a Vgo telepresence robot. Simonite is located in TR’s San Francisco office and uses the robot to communicate “face-to-face” with colleagues in Cambridge, Massachusetts.