Ibiblio’s Paul Jones, Keeper of the Rubber Chicken, posted to a story of a guy who built a robot to cruise around the office for him while he worked from home.
I actually thought of something similar when I worked for Netraverse. We had three offices across the country configured for videoconferencing, yet something important was missing. You see, video cameras at your desk are good – they can convey a lot of information (see my previous instant-messenger post, for example). The problem is that there’s no suitable substitute for catching someone in the hallway to ask a question, or striking up a conversation (work-related only, of course) when someone walks by your cube or doorway. A real videoconferencing setup would not only provide one-on-one video communication, it would offer views of others in your group or office at the same time. What would be even better would be views of the hallways or common areas, equipped with two-way communication, so you could better interact with your colleagues.
At Netraverse I thought of an easy, cheap solution. My approach would’ve been to have essentially a toy electric train, suspended from the ceiling, with a webcam and two-way audio. The camera would roam the hallway ceilings, providing the ability to better tell what’s happening in the office (or why the manager you needed to speak with is not at her desk).
Big-brotherish? Perhaps. The idea is that viewer and viewee would both be visible (and audible), so one wouldn’t be getting the better of the other. There are many ways it could benefit.
I’d still like to try it in an office someday. Beats building everyone their own robot, methinks.
[Update] After reading the IvanAnywhere news story, forget the model train idea. I want my own robot!
I wondered if the robot shouldn’t be required to have a dirty bath robe draped around it and a couple of moth eaten bunny slippers duct taped to its base. This would give the folk who came into the office a feeling for who they are talking to… 🙂