This morning I enjoyed another doppelbot experience. I drove a Double Robotics machine around the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) conference. It was good to get some more real-world experience with this emerging technology.
Some of it felt like what I wrote about on Tuesday: playful interactions, some smooth functioning, tricky audio, helpful ELI folks, and a sense of semi-embodiment.
More quick reflections:
Playfulness inspires not just the bot driver, but also some people interacting with the doppelbot. Larry Johnson of the New Media Consortium (NMC), fresh from presenting the new Horizon Report for higher education, chatted with “me”, then hugged the bot with enough energy to skew it to one side. Which was fun. Other folks insisted on taking selfies with the bot. Some people poured drinks on the bot: doppelbot libations.
Bandwidth issues are a serious challenge. As with any other high-demand digital service, such as videoconferencing, the doppelbot’s success depends on sufficient internet connectivity. This morning saw that connection vary wildly, from effectively real-time quality to jitters and ultimate stoppage. We were relying on a conference connection, and those can be iffy, especially as users pile onto the network.
Any educational institution wanting to use a doppelbot needs to establish a bandwidth baseline.
Imitation of life It was quite easy to slip into non-robotic behavior while driving the doppelbot.
I drove up to a conference poster and read it, while listening to the poster-er explain his work to someone else. I moved among the crowd, looking for people I know. I “met” some people I’ve only connected with online (what I call “first contact”). I found myself trying to read name badges, and so forth.
The doppelbot became my avatar in many ways.
The Napoleon complex Drivers can adjust the height of the doppelbot, raising or lowering it. The lower setting has the advantage of allowing increased speed (not so much “neck” wobbling, see?), but has the psychological problem of creepiness. There must be something unsettling about seeing a person’s face appear at the height of your navel, chirping “hello!”
Sound off Audio remains a significant problem. I was actually able to hear people pretty well, bandwidth permitting (see above). The real issue was making myself heard. The iPad’s tiny speakers just don’t suffice.
Overall, an exciting, fascinating, and usable technology.
(photos by bionic teacher, Mikhail Gershovich, and myself)
Love this – did someone at #eli2014 power up and connect the bot for you or was access to it offered as part of conference online participation?
ELI set it up, Grant, relying on the hotel for electrical power and WiFi.
Bryan, I really have enjoyed reading your experiences with this technology. I find myself imagining the possibilities for patients in hospitals who would need to connect with far away loved ones, or a person with medical Durable Power of Attorney using this technology to be at the bedside when they can’t be there in person, seeing conditions and conferring with the doctors and nurses. Fascinating possibilities.
Thank you, Tammy.
Medical uses are definitely there. We found cases of hospitalized people using a doppelbot to attend classes and meetings.
Bryan,
I was on the other end of your experience this morning; in fact I caught you on video! It was interesting to read your perspective and think of some practical pedagogical applications for the use of these bots. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Julia.
Did you Web up that video?
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Just met a representative of a Canadian corporation which uses Double to provide speech therapy services in schools. That’s an interesting use case – school districts which can’t afford to have specialists in each schools could split their time more easily without incurring travel costs.
Why do these use doppelbots instead of videoconferencing, Joe?
One of the main things that concern me (as someone who has been told ur story and offered to try it a couple times that didn’t work out yet ) is the height thing. I can understand it being unstable at a human height but find it quite eery at navel height (especially because i am tall-ish in person)
So the one Valerie was talking about on Twitter apparently solves the audio issue, right? Let’s both try it and compare notes?
Shorter doppelbots might work better for you when you’re seated.
Audio definitely needs a boost.
I’d be delighted to check one out with you.