Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance that they were present, or to have an effect, at a location other than their true location. Telepresence requires that the senses of the user, or users, are provided with such stimuli as to give the feeling of being in that other location.
Additionally, the user(s) may be given the ability to affect the remote location. In this case, the user's position, movements, actions, voice, etc. may be sensed, transmitted and duplicated in the remote location to bring about this effect. Therefore information may be travelling in both directions between the user and the remote location. Telepresence refers to a user interacting with another live, real place, and is distinct from virtual presence, where the user is given the impression of being in a simulated environment.
Nowadays, telepresence is a set of technologies based on the deployment of meeting rooms equipped with VoIP phones and high resolution plasma monitors that stream natural size images of the people attending the meeting.
Among the developers of telepresence technology there is Cisco, which after becoming known as a provider of technology infrastructures for telecommunication, has recently started entering the world of web conferencing by acquiring WebEx.
Although telepresence is a technology aimed at medium and large sized corporations - due to the present cost of its implementation - it might be still interesting for the average user or small business to appreciate the benefits that this technology is likely to bring in the future.
In the following video Cisco demonstrates how telepresence can be used to create an exceptional online collaboration experience. You can see how a telepresence meeting room is built and what it feels like to participate to a web conference where all the participants are located in different parts of the world and still feel like they were there with you:
Cisco's TelePresence system is based on the creation of special meeting rooms that are equipped with high resolution plasma monitors displaying all the attendees that participate to the meeting. Additionally, an integrated VoIP phone line guarantees high quality audio communication.
Here are the other basic elements that are required to implement a telepresence location:
Room size has to be 15 x 20 squared meters
Few or no windows at all to reduce glare
Lighting adjustments (if needed)
Dedicated power to room
Internet connectivity
The technology that stands behind Cisco's TelePresence system is seamless and Cisco states that it requires minimum training of the end users. They simply have to access a calendar system, set up a meeting room in one click and the system will automatically send an invitation to the VoIP phone available in the telepresence locations.
TelePresence: status of implementation
Cisco plans to deploy 110 units of globally accessible telepresence points based on a map of the most popular travel destinations for business travelers: if this is really going to happen, I can foresee the creation of telepresence access points that will help businesses on the move to work from any location in the world.
If you are wondering which is the set up time for Cisco TelePresence you might be interested in knowing that according to the information provided by Cisco, the set up time for a telepresence-ready meeting room is two days. In the early stages of implementation it took up to two weeks to build up a telepresence location.
Other commercial telepresence systems
Cisco is not the only company that is implementing telepresence technologies. Here is a list of other valuable projects that are currently being carried out by other organizations (the source of information is Wikipedia).
Giraffe Video Conferencing Robot
HeadThere, Inc. has announced the Giraffe Video Conferencing Robot. The Giraffe is a mobile robot that can be moved around its location by remote control using the Internet. The Giraffe allows a user to hear, see, and speak at a far away location, just like traditional videoconferencing. Because people near the robot can see and hear the user, they interact with him as if he were truly present. In a sense, the robot acts as a stand-in for the user.
MILO
MILO is one of the first commercially available telepresence robots - other than research robots - that came to market in 2005. The company's Early Adopters Program currently uses 15 robots to explore various applications within the telepresence space, including elderly care, commercial security, process automation, real-time inventory tracking, and more.
TrueLook
TrueLook is a product that was produced by a company called Perceptual Robotics in the mid 1990s. Perceptual Robotics, Inc. (PRI) used the term "telepresence" to describe its remote controlled robotic web cams because of the sense of "being there" that they provided. Later renamed TrueLook, the product still exists although the company does not. PRI was sold to divine, inc. in 2002 and the TrueLook product was later acquired by Silk Road Technologies, where it remains available.
PEBBLES
PEBBLES is claimed by its developer, Telbotics, to be the world's first fully functioning telepresence application - a solution for hospitalized, homebound and special needs children. PEBBLES is intended to connect children to their home classroom, allowing for participation in classroom activities and social contact.
POLYCOM
POLYCOM manufactures a telepresence system, which is called RealPresence. This system is claimed, by the developer, to offer high-definition video in cinematic view, stereo surround audio and high resolution content in an immersive telepresence environment.
