Telepresence

Many commercial telepresence robots are merely screens or iPads on moving platforms. DORA (Dexterous Observational Roving Automaton), however, promises to make users feel like they've been transported to another location when it does become available. The system was created by a team of University of Pennsylvania roboticists who want to provide people a more immersive telepresence experience without draining their bank accounts. Their robot is paired with an Oculus Rift headset, which can track the user's head movements and orientation, whether up/down, left/right or forward/backward. That data is wirelessly transmitted to the robot's Arduino and Intel Edison microcontrollers, prompting its camera-equipped head to follow the user's movements.

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