Editing Telepresence (section)

== Implementation ==

Telepresence has been described as the human experience of being fully present at a live real-world location remote from one's own physical location. Someone experiencing video telepresence would therefore be able to behave and receive stimuli as if part of a meeting at the remote site. The aforementioned would result in interactive participation of group activities that would bring benefits to a wide range of users.<ref name="thevideonetwork.co.uk">[http://www.thevideonetwork.co.uk/ Video Conferencing: A guide to making a Telepresence Business Case] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080628162418/http://www.thevideonetwork.co.uk/ |date=2008-06-28 }} Matt Walker, 2007</ref>

=== Implementation of human sensory elements ===

To provide a telepresence experience,  technologies are required that implement the human sensory elements of vision, sound, and manipulation.

==== Vision and sound ====

A minimum system usually includes visual [[feedback]]. Ideally, the entire [[field of view]] of the user is filled with a view of the remote location, and the viewpoint corresponds to the movement and orientation of the user's head. In this way, it differs from [[television]] or [[film|cinema]], where the viewpoint is out of the control of the viewer.

In order to achieve this, the user may be provided with either a very large (or wraparound) screen, or [[Stereoscopic|small displays]] mounted directly in front of the eyes. The latter provides a particularly convincing [[Three-dimensional space|3D]] sensation. The movements of the user's head must be sensed, and the [[camera]] must mimic those movements accurately and in real time. This is important to prevent unintended motion sickness.

Another source of future improvement to telepresence displays, compared by some to [[hologram]]s, is a projected [[Electronic visual display|display technology]] featuring life-sized imagery.<ref name="NS-20091221">{{cite news
  | url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18169-holographic-videoconferencing-moves-nearer-to-market.html
  | title='Holographic' Videoconferencing Moves Nearer to Market
  | last=Barras
  | first=Colin
  | date=26 November 2009
  | work=New Scientist
  | pages=23
  | access-date=14 December 2009}}</ref>

Sound is generally the easiest sensation to implement with high [[fidelity]],  based on the foundational [[telephone]] technology dating back more than 130 years. Very high-fidelity sound equipment has also been available for a considerable period of time, with [[Stereo|stereophonic sound]] being more convincing than [[monaural]] sound.

==== Manipulation ====
[[File:Anybots robot monty.jpg|thumb|right|Monty, a telemanipulation prototype from [[Anybots]]]]

The ability to manipulate a remote object or environment is an important aspect for some telepresence users and can be implemented in a large number of ways depending on the needs of the user. Typically, the movements of the user's hands (position in space and posture of the fingers) are sensed by [[wired glove]]s, [[Inertial Measurement Unit|inertial sensors]], or absolute spatial position sensors. A [[robot]] in the remote location then copies those movements as closely as possible. This ability is also known as [[teleoperation]].

The more closely the robot re-creates the form factor of the human hand, the greater the sense of telepresence. The complexity of robotic effectors varies greatly, from simple one axis grippers, to [[Shadow Hand|fully anthropomorphic robot hands]].

[[Haptic communication|Haptic]] teleoperation refers to a system that provides some sort of tactile force feedback to the user, so the user feels some approximation of the weight, firmness, size, and/or texture of the remote objects manipulated by the robot. A new form of technology, called collaborative telepresence, is currently being developed which will eventually be used to collaborate with others while seeming like you are in the same room as the other person, keeping a normal social distance. Collaborative telepresence uses haptic sensors like these to allow a sense of touch.

==== Freedom of movement ====
[[File:IRobot Ava 500.jpg|thumb|iRobot Ava 500, an autonomous roaming telepresence robot]]

The prevalence of high quality video conferencing using mobile devices, tablets and portable computers has enabled considerable growth in telepresence robots to help give a better sense of remote physical presence for communication and collaboration in the office, home or school when one cannot be there in person.  The robot avatar can move or look around at the command of the remote person. Drivable telepresence robots – typically contain a display (integrated or separate phone or tablet) mounted on a roaming base. Some examples of roaming telepresence robots include Beam by Suitable Technologies, Double by Double Robotics, Ava Telepresence by [http://www.avarobotics.com Ava Robotics], Anybots, Vgo, TeleMe by Mantarobot, and Romo by Romotive.<ref>{{cite news |first=Rick |last=Lehrbaum |work=InfoWeek |url=http://www.informationweek.com/applications/attack-of-the-telepresence-robots!/d/d-id/1108137 |title=Attack of the Telepresence Robots! |date=January 11, 2013 |access-date=December 8, 2013}}</ref>

More modern roaming telepresence robots may include an ability to operate [[Autonomous robot|autonomously]]. The robots can map out the space and be able to avoid obstacles while driving themselves between rooms and their docking stations.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Honig|first1=Zach|title=iRobot's Ava 500 telepresence-on-a-stick is rolling out now (update: $69,500!!)|url=https://www.engadget.com/2014/03/17/irobot-ava-500/ |date=March 17, 2014 |work=Engadget|access-date=4 July 2014}}</ref>

=== Effectiveness ===

Telepresence's effectiveness varies by degree of fidelity. Research has noted that telepresence solutions differ in degree of implementation, from "immersive" through "adaptive" to "lite" solutions.<ref>[http://www.tatacommunications.com/telepresence/_pdfs/TP_Gartner_dataquest_insight_the_telepresence_163616.pdf Dataquest Insight: The Telepresence Market in India, 2008 ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512064252/http://www.tatacommunications.com/telepresence/_pdfs/TP_Gartner_dataquest_insight_the_telepresence_163616.pdf |date=2013-05-12 }}, Gartner December 16, 2008</ref> At the top are immersive solutions where the environments at both ends are highly controlled (and often the same) with respect to lighting, acoustics, decor and furniture, thereby giving all the participants the impression they are together at the same table in the same room, thus engendering the "immersive" label.

Adaptive telepresence solutions may use the same technology, but the environments at both ends are not highly controlled and hence often differ. Adaptive solutions differ from telepresence lite solutions not in terms of control of environments, but in terms of integration of technology.  Adaptive solutions use a managed service, whereas telepresence lite solutions use components that someone must integrate.

=== Transparency of implementation ===
[[File:Telepresence Session.JPG|thumb|right|A telepresence conference between participants in [[Ghana]] and [[Newark, New Jersey]] in 2012]]

A good telepresence strategy puts the human factors first, focusing on visual collaboration configurations that closely replicate the brain's innate preferences for interpersonal communications, separating from the unnatural "talking heads" experience of traditional videoconferencing. These cues include life–size participants, fluid motion, accurate flesh tones and the appearance of true eye contact.<ref>[http://www.humanproductivitylab.com/consulting/ Telepresence Consulting – Human Productivity Lab<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070423155907/http://www.humanproductivitylab.com/consulting/ |date=2007-04-23 }}</ref> This is already a well-established technology, used by many businesses today. The chief executive officer of [[Cisco Systems]], [[John Chambers (CEO)|John Chambers]] in June 2006 at the Networkers Conference compared telepresence to [[Teleportation|teleporting]] from ''[[Star Trek]]'', and said that he saw the technology as a potential billion dollar market for Cisco.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2158699/cisco-sets-sail |title=Cisco Sets Sail For Teleconferencing |first=Tom |last=Sanders |date=21 June 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930194327/http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2158699/cisco-sets-sail |archive-date=2007-09-30}}</ref>

Rarely will a telepresence system provide such a transparent implementation with such comprehensive and convincing stimuli that the user perceives no differences from actual presence. But the user may set aside such differences, depending on the application.

The fairly simple [[telephone]] achieves a limited form of telepresence using just the human sensory element of hearing, in that users consider themselves to be ''talking to each other'' rather than talking to the telephone itself.

Watching [[television]], for example, although it stimulates our primary senses of [[Visual perception|vision]] and [[Hearing (sense)|hearing]], rarely gives the impression that the watcher is no longer at home. However, television sometimes engages the senses sufficiently to trigger emotional responses from viewers somewhat like those experienced by people who directly witness or experience events. Televised depictions of sports events as an example can elicit strong emotions from viewers.

As the screen size increases, so does the sense of immersion, as well as the range of subjective mental experiences available to viewers. Some viewers have [[IMAX#Viewer experience|reported]] a sensation of genuine [[Vertigo (medical)|vertigo]] or [[motion sickness]] while watching [[IMAX]] movies of flying or outdoor sequences.

Because most currently feasible telepresence gear leaves something to be desired; the user must [[suspend disbelief]] to some degree, and choose to act in a natural way, appropriate to the remote location, perhaps using some skill to operate the equipment. In contrast, a telephone user does not see herself as  "operating" the telephone but merely talking to another person with it.