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I tried that in an early version of Anybots (see http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/anybots-rolls-out-qa-the-telegenic-telepresence-robot/ http://www.engadget.c

by tlb 13y ago

I tried that in an early version of Anybots (see http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/anybots-rolls-out-qa-the-telegenic-telepresence-robot/ http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/anybots-rolls-out-qa-the-... for pictures). It caused people to expect it to be a Robot with a robotic personality, and were disappointed when it was just a proxy for a person. It was confusing since there were two human-like things involved. I analogized it to designing a phone to look like a human head. The goal is communicating transparently with the remote person, so a minimal design works best. That said, a humanoid torso would be a fun aftermarket accessory for the Double.

avmich 13y ago
May be it's a design question. The torso shouldn't be human-like, but the idea is to make it - less ugly, subjectively? - than a stick with an iPad on it. Yes, it somehow should avoid being confused with robot - so may be it shouldn't look like a stereotypical robot. I agree that everything has a price; the question is, is it justified by perceived improvement in looks. To me, a Segway with a stick looks odd, especially in a company of a few people walking somewhere. Something more resembling "a figure" could likely improve the perception. A head model could both make easier to realize who you're talking to - I guess this can be useful - and also improve overall looking. I agree that it's also not as easy - and reconfigurable - as just having an iPad. It seems to me there is a potential for improvements.