“Is there anybody out there?” Using a telepresence robot to engage in face time at the office

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the impact of mobile robotic telepresence systems on face time – which refers to people “seeing and being seen” – and analyse whether they allow overcoming the challenges associated with telecommuting.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on a qualitative methodology in two French high-tech companies using interviews to better understand how the use of a telepresence robot is experienced by teleworkers, co-workers and their managers.FindingsThe results demonstrate that telepresence robots do offset the absence of teleworkers by allowing them to engage in face time, even remotely. It shows how the telepresence robot's affordances impact the different dimensions of face time and examine the processes through which teleworkers and co-workers anthropomorphize the robot and manage their privacy needs.Originality/valueThis article further elaborates the concept of face time and offers six dimensions to study in a digitally driven environment, including two newly identified dimensions. It also discusses the surveillance and privacy needs issues raised by the use of mobile robotic telepresence (MRP) systems.

When the Virtual Becomes Real?

In the first part of this final chapter, we look at several current trends in technologies used to enable various forms of digital travel, and some recent innovations—including social telepresence robots, drones, holograms and immersive VR. We briefly describe the approach and evaluate the pros and cons and potential of each, then move on to speculations about future directions and new possibilities. We present a method of stimulating new design ideas for digital travel, based on metaphors and blending theory. We illustrate the method using the metaphor: “To use my device is to travel”. In the second part of the chapter, we recap and finalise our journey through the book.

Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients

Background: Adolescent cancer patients experience considerable absence from their education, contributing to poorer academic attainment and isolation from peers, and impacting wellbeing. Telepresence robots have been used to support the educational and social needs of young people with chronic illness. This article presents the results of the development and pilot-testing of a telepresence robot service in schools for adolescent cancer patients – the TRECA (Telepresence Robots to Engage CAncer patients in education) service.Methods: Phase I used semi-structured interviews (n = 25) to assess the views of patients, parents, schools and clinicians on the benefits, acceptability, barriers, and enablers of utilizing robots in schools for adolescent cancer patients. Results from Phase I informed the development of the TRECA service. Phase II used semi-structured interviews (n = 22) to assess the implementation experiences of adolescent cancer patients, and their families, schools, and keyworkers who pilot-tested the TRECA service.Results: Phase I demonstrated the need for telepresence technology in connecting adolescent cancer patients to school. Given the variable support during treatment, a telepresence robot service was considered an acceptable method of facilitating a school-patient connection. The recommendations provided in Phase I, such as the need for provision of ongoing education, training, and support to the patient and school, informed the development of the TRECA service. In Phase II, the themes of The necessity of stakeholder buy-in, A facilitator of meaningful connection, and One size does not fit all were generated. The TRECA service’s flexibility in meeting the needs of its users helped facilitate meaningful connections. Participants reported that these connections provided patients an enhanced sense of agency and wellbeing. The importance of stakeholder buy-in and taking an individualized approach to service delivery were also highlighted. Stakeholder miscommunication and lack of knowledge were key aspects of implementation needing improvement as the service is rolled out on a larger scale.Conclusion: Using telepresence robots to connect adolescents to school during cancer treatment was regarded as highly acceptable, facilitating peer and academic connection. By making stakeholder-recommended improvements to the TRECA service’s existing processes, the service will continue to grow in effectiveness and capacity.

University academics’ perceptions regarding the future use of telepresence robots to enhance virtual transnational education: an exploratory investigation in a developing country

There is a growing interest in employing telepresence robots in different educational contexts due to their great potentials to enhance and improve educational experiences for remote learners. However, there is little use of telepresence robots in virtual transnational education contexts in developing countries. There is a lack of knowledge about university academics’ perceptions regarding the future use of telepresence robots to enhance virtual transnational education contexts. This exploratory research aims to fill this gap by seeking to have evidence-based information on whether telepresence robots as a new emerging technology is perceived among university academics as a useful tool for enhancing virtual transnational education or not. This study also seeks to better understand university academics’ perceptions of obstacles that may hinder them from using telepresence robots and the support that they will need. A sample of 46 Egyptian university academics participated in this study. The results of the study revealed that the academics perceived telepresence robots to have a great potential to enhance virtual transnational education. The academics also perceived telepresence robotics to have positive effects on educational activities. Furthermore, the participants indicated a number of barriers regarding integrating telepresence robotics into the teaching and learning activities and identified the types of support they will need. The uptake of telepresence robots to enhance virtual transnational education could lead to a larger international learner population, better virtual transnational education, and more university revenue. Recommendations for future research are also presented.

Identifying Key Features of Telepresence Robot Systems in Intensive Care Units: a Scoping Review Protocol

Background: The progress of robotics in the last decades and the current Covid-19 outbreak have contributed to an increasing interest in integrating telepresence robot systems into healthcare. However, it is still needed to better understand how robotic features contribute to medical practice and to the wellness of patients. Hence, we propose a scoping review to spot features of telepresence robot systems that impact the fulfillment of goals in health care for patients in intensive care units. Methods and analysis: Our review will be guided by Arksey and O'Malley’s framework and the revisions by Levac et al., and Peters et al. We will search in 18 scientific databases specialized on either medicine or digital technology, plus another 5 online sources of grey literature. We will consider documents dated between 2000 and 2021, in English and Spanish, and we will perform a quantitative analysis and a thematic synthesis of the papers included in this study.Discussion: This work will help to recognize characteristics, components and capabilities of telepresence robots that are relevant in medical practice, to guide new research and development avenues and boost cooperation between health providers and roboticists. Results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and included in promotional activities of our universities. This study does not require ethics review, however, we will be very attentive to feedback from patients, caregivers, health providers and decision makers involved in this scoping review. OSF Registration: DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/S3FHR (Submitted on October 4, 2021)