I'm expecting to see Anybots milling around in conference lobbies or corporate meeting rooms before the year is out. It's an internet-operated "telepresence robot" which can be manoeuvred from thousands of miles away using a laptop and headset, according to this article.
You can join in meetings, attend conferences, ask questions or wander round a chemical production plant (maybe not.)
The Anybot weighs 16 kg, sells for $15,000 and moves at 3.5 miles/hour, and has a video monitor so that those it meets can see the operator live. It could be your long-distance boss inside the stick-like body.
Apparently, the Anybot arouses a lot of interest for a few minutes, when it first arrives in the workplace, then people just forget about it. No, the Blog can't believe that at all. I think it would take a very long time to forget that you're talking to a robot, and the temptation to push it over or shut it accidentally in a room would be very strong indeed.
Recent Comments