How telepresence is bringing (digital) collaboration to life.
Paris, 8 o’clock in the morning. Salim Azouzi’s working day begins. He sits down at his desk at home, opens his laptop, logs in and, just a few seconds later, he is in the office in Lyon around 500 kilometres away.
Is this telepathy? Almost. Salim is using what’s known as a telepresence robot, which enables him to be actively present in the office, to move around, talk to colleagues and take part in day-to-day work. All without having to do the five-hour commute.
The telepresence robot’s head features a screen showing an image of Salim Azouzi, just the same as in normal video conferences. But the crucial advantage compared to regular video conferencing tools is the fact that the robot can move. “I can move around freely and take part in normal day-to-day office life,” explains Salim Azouzi, Strategic Relations Director at Awabot, which markets telepresence systems around the world.
As the robot can’t yet manage the stairs, at Awabot there is a robot stationed on every floor, which Salim can access at the touch of a button. “This enables me to quickly change location for meetings. On each floor, I’m able to move around freely, look for colleagues and have conversations in the corridor,” says Azouzi. Salim’s robot counterpart just needs help with opening doors: “We are already working on a teleoperation function, which will make it possible to operate systems on-site and also open doors. But it’s not a problem for me. If need be, I simply ask my colleagues to help me. This helps to encourage social interaction,” Salim confirms.
But could this type of telepresence actually replace physical collaboration in an office? Or would people miss the face-to-face contact? Salim Azouzi is happy with his situation: “It is of course easier to actually be on site. But for me, living 500 kilometres away, this is the best and most effective solution. It feels as though I’m there and I can also take part in informal events.” Every morning, his colleagues get together for a brief chat over coffee: “I make myself a coffee at home and then with the robot I can still be in the middle of things, maintain my relationships and feel involved.”
Salim even logs in during his daily periods of focus work on his PC so that he is present in the office via the robot: “This enables me to react much more spontaneously, quickly ask colleagues questions and also hear any office news straightaway.” When he’s in online meetings or on telephone calls, he temporarily mutes the robot.
Seeing a robot mingling with people and moving around the office is no longer disconcerting for Salim’s colleagues but has become the norm. “We have found that people get used to the robot very quickly. Having the display with the image of the person makes it much easier.”
But despite this, telepresence robots are not yet particularly widespread. There are currently between 6,000 and 10,000 Awabot devices in circulation, with the majority of these being used in education. “Schools are leading the way in the use of this technology. Robots are being used in schools for pupils who are unwell and would find it very difficult to attend lessons,” explains Azouzi.
Awabot currently sells two models: the Beam® and the BeamPro®. The Beam® robot is intended for office environments, which is how Salim uses it. The costs for the device including software are EUR 5,000. The enhanced Pro version is suitable for large-scale events such as sports events and costs EUR 15,000. “When we implement a new device for a customer, all the testing takes place remotely,” explains Salim.
Telepresence robots help to improve collaboration, give a more realistic feeling and encourage informal communication, making them an exciting technology that is definitely capable of providing an impetus for digital collaboration. But what does the future look like? Will the robots soon be replaced by hologram technologies? We finished the interview by asking Salim Azouzi about this: “Holograms are currently still static, are unable to move to different places and are also very expensive. With the robots, you are physically present to some extent and you can also control the device yourself. That makes it somehow more human. Nevertheless, all technology does of course evolve. We will see what happens.”
Until then, Salim Azouzi is more than happy with his telepresence robot. He is looking forward to the company’s next pizza party, which he will attend via his technical counterpart and where he will joke with colleagues, chat and laugh while eating his own takeaway pizza. The pizza is essential – otherwise it wouldn’t feel real.
Facts.
