Getting Off Your Bot

Despite cellphones and Internet ubiquity, some people find that remote working just doesn’t cut it for them. They like the ability to move around the office, keep an eye on things, do meetings and all that. Until virtual offices and holograms come along, there might be a compromise solution: Virtual presence devices, which give you a physical presence in the office even while you leave the Merc in the garage. We found this one, from Anybots (anybots.com , $15,000), which starts shipping in Autumn in the USA. How does it work? It hooks up to your company server via Wi-Fi, and when you log on, its ‘eyes’ light up. It comes with speaker, microphone and video screen so, in real time, you can converse with and see your colleagues (and be seen, if you have a webcam at your remote location).

You can control your bot’s movements with your keyboard’s arrow keys, so you can trundle into meetings, stroll over to a colleague’s desk for a quick chat, and so on, while the real you is on a business trip. Or, heck, at the pool, long, cool drink to hand.