Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by CoolHand on Monday December 12 2016, @07:23PM   Printer-friendly
from the never-leaving-our-house-again dept.

This fascinating article tells us what it's like to inhabit a telepresence robot at a busy convention, both positive and negative.

I logged into my telepresence unit and discovered myself in a small booth filled with technicians. A gentleman was there who asked me some questions. Who was I? Did I know how to use the software? Was I logged in to the Skype chat, and did I need any help?

After a brief orientation, I left my charging platform and trundled out into the world. I moved cautiously at first – I needed to get my bearings – but was soon on my way. A few turns and I found the Micron booth. This is a great start; I have friends there.

The Micron folks are great people and all of my nervousness about this new mode of interaction faded away as I talked to them. There was some oohing and aahing about the novelty of the telepresence unit, but after a few seconds the robot, the UI, my computer screen... it all just disappeared. I was there, talking to my friends, and it felt as real to me as being there in person.

Later:

Watching her navigate between people I began to notice a distinct difference in how she was treated versus how I was treated. When Phoummala wanted to go somewhere she simply went there. People got out of her way. When I wanted to go somewhere, people did not move to let me through.

People rarely deliberately stepped in front of Phoummala. If they saw she was headed in a given direction, they'd generally let her pass before continuing on. The opposite was true of me; as a telepresence unit, they expected that I would stop to let them pass. I wasn't human, you see, so it was perfectly OK to throw one's self into my path and expect me to react in time.

As this technology is used more often, will we treat the 'bots as we would the humans riding them?

[Editor's note: This link is at the bottom of the article and I believe is the unit they were using]


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Funny) by VLM on Monday December 12 2016, @08:59PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Monday December 12 2016, @08:59PM (#440550)

    travel can be a big hurdle for those with disabilities

    Speaking of that... in the first world there's likely someone in a powered wheelchair unemployed and looking for work, and it would seem the guidance system and latency of a local biological neural network would perform well, and the chair is likely battle proven along with its owner... I'm just thinking out loud that developing software and hardware to make sure disabled people never get a job seems kinda jerk-ish.

    Why not just stick the camera and laptop on a disabled dude in a wheelchair? Gives a guy a job, don't need to waste time developing motion control algos and hardware...

    Now I was suggesting disabled dude because of battery power but hiring a homeless dude to wear an ipad on a chain around his neck is quite achievable. Doesn't even have to be homeless, could be starving student or just bored part timer. I got nothing happening this saturday maybe I'll put on a suit and tie (or mime costume?) and hang my kids ipad around my neck and head down to the national plumbing and toilet manufacturers industry show, ear some bucks while getting some indoor hiking exercise, win win for all.

    My past experience with cons is its like going back to high school where what you wear is suddenly super important for the first time since senior year and you'll get into these conversations like "oh I see where you work". Then there's drinking which is fun. And hot con sex with the groupies, my fans get pretty excited about how large my SN karma is.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Funny=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Funny' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3  
  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday December 12 2016, @09:49PM

    by bob_super (1357) on Monday December 12 2016, @09:49PM (#440569)

    For the plumber's con, are you better off putting your iPad above your butt crack, or hire a Vegas girl to hold it an inch above her cleavage? One gives you more street cred, the other one more contacts.

    • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 12 2016, @10:45PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 12 2016, @10:45PM (#440595)

      Either gets you lots of pipe.