How are telepresence robots empowering smart factories?

To meet new industry demands, telepresence robots are rapidly growing in popularity. It is not only an effective option for promoting sound management of production processes, but also facilitates unsuspected aspects of an organisation’s activities. The article talks about the benefits of telepresence robots and market adaptability.

- Dr T Senthil Siva Subramanian and Prof. Rajeev Kr Upadhyay

Today is an era of telepresence tools – it could be telemedicine, telesurgery using soft robots, and companies with remote workers. The concept of frugal telepresence robots is immersive, robust, user-friendly and interactive to use, and it’s the next technological wave to being there in person. In healthcare, telepresence robots are being used to provide patients with remote access to doctors and nurses.

A wave of telepresence technology

Telepresence is an active medium in which transducers and digital sensors, such as high-definition video cameras and microphones, substitute for the corresponding senses of the participant. The participant can remotely see and hear from the first-person POV with the aid of sensing devices in a remote location, which is not usually reachable.

Next big wave: Telepresence robots

A telepresence robot is a remote-controlled, wheeled device that has wireless internet connectivity with Artificial Intelligence capability. Typically, the robot uses a compact and robust handheld device such as a tablet to provide video and audio capabilities.

The global market for industrial robots was sized at about $43.8 billion in 2021. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 10 percent, reaching almost $70.6 billion by 2028.

Telepresence robot: Concept of working