“Facetime on wheels” has been used to describe this particular telepresence robot known as Double, and just to get an idea on the kind of potential it has in the market, we are looking at a cool $1 million worth of pre-orders in just three weeks of its announcement. David Cann, the founder and CEO of Double Robotics said, “It’s a Segway for your iPad.” Basically, when you hook up an iPad to your Double, it will function as a roving telepresence device (although not on Mars). Sporting a sturdy aluminum base, urethane and plastic wheels, the Double comes with custom control systems and iOS software so that you can drive it around remotely, carry out video chats with whoever it encounters, and also help you see what the camera on your iPad picks up.
Seems to be the ideal device for one who wants to send in a “body double” for inspection purposes, and if it is capable of all-terrain movement, it would be extremely useful in investigating dangerous areas such as a collapsed mine or being of use to the military in gathering intelligence. Not only that, it helps you attend a meeting when you are unable to be there physically, although I believe that we would be more comfortable with a holographic representation like how the top Umbrella Corporation management meet instead of talking to an iPad.
Each Double unit will have a starting price of at least $1,999, and that excludes the price of the iPad, of course.
Filed in . Read more about Robot.