Telepresence robots enhance remote working and cut carbon emissions

The GoBe Robots reproduce each user’s face in real size on the screen for a more authentic remote working experience

Spotted: Being a digital nomad has never been easier. And now Blue Ocean Robotics’ GoBe Robots are making online connections more personable. When workplaces moved out of the office and into the home, many people struggled with the lack of human connection in their professional lives. The GoBe Robots reproduce each user’s face in real size on the screen, eliminating the disembodied look and feel of both giant conference room screens and tiny tiled squares of group video calls.

Users control the camera and movement of the robot. The front-facing, wide-angle camera zooms in up to four times in size, allowing the remote person to get involved in detailed on-site work. The mounted screen allows users to move their robot presence as needed, opening up opportunities for remote trade show visits, healthcare appointments and educational interactions.

The company is also touting the environmental benefits of GoBe Robots, as they reduce the need to travel. To illustrate this, the company says, “a trip from Copenhagen to Singapore emits approx. 3.1 ton of CO2 per person. Using the GoBe Robots telepresence robot for a visit to Singapore emits a fraction of CO2, even when the power consumption of streaming and server hosting is taken into account. A company in Europe with 20 employees traveling to Asia four times a year saves 500,000 kilos of CO2 by replacing air travel with the telepresence robot.”

With the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, use of this technology helps break chains of contagion. In the longer term, the robots may help drastically increase accessibility and interactivity of venues and events like museums and concerts. Accessibility is often an element of the innovations featured by Springwise, from community psychiatric care text messaging to contactless cash withdrawals, and highlight many entrepreneurs’ goals of creating social benefits that solve a problem.