‘Double’ Is An iPad-Controlled Telepresence Robot

We’ve all seen movies involving robots, right? We all thought those days were far from near, but Double Robotics has invented a nifty iPad-controlled robot dubbed ‘Double.’ While this robot may not nearly include the far-fetched features of that in movies, Double will be very useful around offices, schools, and stores.

Double, being controlled by an iPad, consists of a pair of wheels, battery motor, adjustable pole, and an iPad slot. Ultimately, one person will be remotely controlling the robot through another iPad.

Digital Trends details a realistic situation:

Imagine you’re at your company, seated at your desk, when this iPad perched on a kind of pared-down Segway rolls up beside you. On the screen is the face of one of your co-workers located in another country who today is poking about your office, getting to know the layout, meeting some new people, asking a few questions. After a brief chat, it rolls off to the other side of the office. You look up five minutes later and do a double-take as you notice two of these devices having a conversation with each other by the water cooler.

I’m not sure if many of our readers have prior knowledge of telepresence robots, but they typically come priced well over $5000. Double is priced at a measly $1,999 when pre-ordered, or $2499 when released in “early 2013.” The only negative aspect is that the iPads must be purchased separately.

[via Digital Trends]