The good news is that many companies are now offering in-office avatars or embodied social proxies (ESPs). Basically robots that can be remotely controlled, the ESPs are a substitute for a remote worker being in the same building as the rest of the team. The ESP usually has a speaker, video screen, microphone, and camera, which allows real-time audio and video to be sent and received by both the satellite and the hub. It’s like having your own robotic avatar roaming around the office building.

We’ve previously covered these ESPs or in-office avatars here at WWD, specifically mentioning Anybots – which costs ,000 per unit. Similar products include VGo (,995 for the unit and a ,195 annual service fee) and the Texai Remote Presence System (no pricing information yet).

The costs of these in-office proxies tends to make one skeptical about whether the value they provide is worth it. Will companies get a return on their investment? And what benefits can we expect from using these things?

What ESPs can do for remote workers and hub teams

According to researchers from Microsoft Research and the University of California, Irvine, the continuous presence of the proxies in each team improved their social connections as well as their mutual support in work activities. The lone remote workers were easily available to participate more fully in meetings and impromptu discussions. This lowered uncertainty among colleagues and gave them a closer sense of proximity.

Other studies support this, including this recent study published by ACM Press. Researchers Min Kyung Lee and Leila Takayama noted that even though teams previously used phone and video conferencing, these proved to be too limiting because the remote workers were often left out of meetings and decision-making. With the ESP, “[...] remotely controlled mobility enabled remote workers to live and work with local coworkers almost as if they were physically there.”

The informal and spontaneous interactions probably contributed a lot to this sense of proximity. Based on the interviews with the participants, impromptu work meetings, worker availability, and planned social interactions were the top three activities that showed the most improvement. Impromptu meetings, which were usually for getting answers or sharing ideas, mostly took place in hallways and other shared spaces. This kind of spontaneity would be almost impossible with web-based conferencing, email, or chat, since workers would have to return to their workstations to conduct these types of meetings.

The researchers note that these spur-of-the-moment meetings could show commitment and build stronger social connections among geographically distributed workers.

Apart from more nuanced real-time interactions, ESPs also provided the most value during creative design tasks. According to the Microsoft Research and Univeristy of California paper, “Teams involved in creative design activities perceived a greater use value of ESPs, as they allowed the satellite members to more fully participate in the design process, inside and outside meetings.” Remote workers and on-location teams could easily participate in fast-paced design discussions. It was also much easier for both parties to communicate ideas visually via gestures, diagrams, and whiteboards.

The challenges of using ESPs

Apart from cost, there are a few disadvantages or inconveniences to using ESPs.

The first of these is the remote worker’s difficulty simply driving the ESP. Though this is learned over time, driving was usually done simultaneously with other tasks such as conversation or presentation. In the study conducted by Lee and Takayama, sometimes it was more inconvenient to use the proxies for meetings because they had to drive it to the meeting room. Though driving in itself wasn’t difficult, it consumed a lot of time. Remote workers then had a tendency to be late for meetings.

Experiencing network delays also proved to be challenging. When the internet connection is slow or unreliable, the delays made it hard to achieve the impromptu and nuanced discussions that the ESPs were supposed to provide.

There were also cases when the quality of the machine had an impact on the perceived quality of the worker. When, unbeknownst to the remote worker, the machine was too loud, colleagues perceived the worker himself as loud and disruptive to the workplace.

New etiquette rules were also needed to foster smoother interactions between remote workers and hub teams. For example, it was sometimes seen as a violation of personal space when colleagues changed the volume, orientation, or location of an ESP without asking the remote worker’s permission. Co-located teams, on the other hand, found it rude whenever remote workers did not drive their ESP away at the end of a conversation — even if they were no longer paying attention to whatever went on around their ESPs.

Who benefits the most?

Based on the studies and tests done on ESPs so far, it seems that these devices are best used when the company setup includes a hub office where most workers are co-located, while having only very few remote workers. Fast and reliable Internet connections should also be available to both the hub office and the remote workers — without it, your team won’t experience the benefit of richer real-time interactions.

It’s clear that ESPs have their benefits, but whether these benefits are worth it would depend on how your team works and the kind of work that you do.

Do you think ESPs would be useful in your company? Why or why not?

Thumbnail photo courtesy of Anybots.

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Tech Gadgets Mysteries, What Is A Bluetooth Bracelet?

No more will you miss your calls for one reason or the other. Thanks to the revolutionary Bluetooth bracelet. Your phone calls have now become fun to receive and make. Rather than loud ringtone and mp3s, a buzz alerts you of a call.

Bluetooth Bracelet

It’s a device that uses the Bluetooth technology to alert you of incoming calls. It vibrates on your wrist when you have a call. It can as well display the ID of your caller. You probably have missed calls before because you were busy, or in a noisy place. Well, not any more with these bracelets.

Attractions of the bracelet

You might be wondering why most people are interested in Bluetooth bracelets. Well, this is a nice looking, creatively made metallic or rubber gadget. It is stylish and comfortable to wear.

Bluetooth bracelets are helpful if you are the busy business types. If you’re constantly on the move, work in a busy and demanding environment etc. You can as well buy it as a gift item for your loved one.

-You may have thought of buying one of these cute bracelets for yourself.

Consider:
* A good finish whether it is metallic or rubber
* A vibration function and caller ID display for better models
* Proximity vibration alert when mobile is 5 meters away
* It must support Bluetooth profile i.e. headset and hands free
* An efficient battery

It is easy to set up your Bluetooth device and begin enjoying its benefits. Just follow the normal procedure for setting up a Bluetooth connection. You have probably done it before with your phone and should not have trouble doing it.

It is closely related to how you would start your phones Bluetooth normally when sharing files. Bluetooth bracelets can be found in the lost electronic stores or online. This cool electronic gadget has revolutionized the way we receive and make calls.

This cool gadget is your ultimate answer for customizing the way you receive your phone calls. When in a busy situation or in a meeting, you can easily check out your call alerts without having to get your phone out. You can then reject or answer the call if you want and continue with your business. Go ahead, get your Bluetooth bracelet today and you ca never regret it. This gadget will amaze you.

Get the latest Bluetooth bracelets and other tech gadgets out there today. Visit Chinavasion.com or paste this link into your browser: http://www.chinavasion.com/index.php/cName/electronic-gadgets/

Next, you want to make sure that you are not going off balance. Remember that employing a track loader is going to require ability. If you throw your bucket too high with a lot of weight is going to affect your machine’s balance. In addition, if you move your bucket up when your machine is slanted may cause it to topple. Make sure that you have got a good balance when you’re using it.

Thenext thing to recollect is that you shouldnot be pushing on anything that has the ability to push back against you. These are things like huge metal sheets or other materials that are flexible or might bounce. If you push against them too hard, they may snap back against your machine and throw you and your loader sincerely off balance.

Next, before you start working make sure that there arenot any animals or kids in the area that youare going to be working in or have access to it. When you are working on a track loader, it can be extraordinarily difficult to see whatis in proximity to where you are, and you do not want to have any accidents with running a beloved kid or pet.

Eventually, make sure that you are performing regular maintenance on your track loader to be sure that it’s running right. If you don’t check everything constantly, you’ll find that you are going to damage your equipment, become wounded yourself because the machine malfunctions, or harm others because you are unable to stop when you see an animal or kid run into your path. Regularly check everything from the brakes, the controls, and the hydraulics. This may help to make sure that everybody stays safe and that things are running well.

When you’re operating a Track Loader, there are a lot of things that you have to do to make sure that you and the people that are around you are staying safe. The tips that are noted above are made to make sure that everyone seems to be staying safe and you are using the best backhoe bucket for the job. When you’re using heavy gear, all of the precautions possible need to be taken to make sure that the appliances are employed in a way that will keep everybody safe. Taking precautions and doing regular upkeep are the journeys to safety.

Gun comb: because you just don’t get arrested enough already
A true AFOL would carry one of these LEGO wallets
Proximity sensing shirts light up within ten feet of each other
THQ CEO says Sony’s motion controller is actually named Arc, not Gem
What are you playing?

Powered by three AAA batteries stuffed into a hidden pocket inside the shirt, the large decal will emit radar-like waves when nobody’s nearby and then lock on and start flashing when someone else wearing the same shirt gets to within about ten feet.

You may ask yourself why someone would buy something like this. And maybe I’d ask that too. And then people would probably buy it anyway. Close-quarters hide and seek? Wow factor? Extra $20 that needs to be spent? Proximity-based frequency detection enthusiasts? The possibilities are endless.

Locked ON – Proximity Sensing Shirt [ThinkGeek.com]

The inventor created this locking system using the TI development kit, some basic electronics, and the Chronos watch. The watch uses a 128 bit AES key encryption, and requires that you know the pre-programmed tap code before it will open the door. This is more secure then RFID, which just opens based on proximity. I love this project, the only potential issue I could see would be someone mugging you and stealing your watch, leaving you unable to open your door (unless you have a key with you).

[via Make]

The usual ignorance and hysteria, yes, but here’s the fun part. After confirming that the residents had been having the same symptoms over the last couple months, iBurst revealed that the tower had been turned off the entire time. I would have liked to see their faces.

iBurst CEO Jannie van Zyl says:

At this point it became apparent that the tower can, in no way, be the cause of the symptoms, as it was already switched off for many weeks, yet the residents still saw symptoms that come and go according to their proximity to the area.

The mind is a powerful thing. It can produce psychosomatic rashes, worry you into insomnia, and I don’t know if the Craigavon residents know this, but it can also be filled with knowledge so you don’t go through life as dumb as a chicken.

[via Reddit]

By Evan Ackerman

This thing is, seriously, the highlight of CES for me (so far) this year. 3D TVs and eBook readers are fine, but there’s nothing amazing about them.

The Airnergy Charger is amazing.

This little box has, inside it, some kind of circuitry that harvests WiFi energy out of the air and converts it into electricity. This has been done before, but the Airnergy is able to harvest electricity with a high enough efficiency to make it practically useful: on the CES floor, they were able to charge a BlackBerry from 30% to full in about 90 minutes, using nothing but ambient WiFi signals as a power source.

The Airnergy has a battery inside it, so you can just carry it around and as long as you’re near some WiFi, it charges itself. Unlike a solar charger, it works at night and you can keep it in your pocket. Of course, proximity to the WiFi source and the number of WiFi sources is important, but at the rate it charges, if you have a home wireless network you could probably just leave anywhere in your house overnight and it would be pretty close to full in the morning.

Here is the really, really unbelievable part: RCA says that the USB charger will be available this summer for $40, and a battery with the WiFi harvesting technology will be available soon after. I mean, all kinds of people are pushing wireless charging, but this would hands down take the cake… It doesn’t need a pad and it’s charging all the time, for free, in just about any urban environment.

We didn’t think you’d believe all this, so we made RCA explain it all on video:

Yeah, we’ll definitely be keeping you updated on this one.

By Evan Ackerman

This thing is, seriously, the highlight of CES for me (so far) this year. 3D TVs and eBook readers are fine, but there’s nothing amazing about them.

The Airnergy Charger is amazing.

This little box has, inside it, some kind of circuitry that harvests WiFi energy out of the air and converts it into electricity. This has been done before, but the Airnergy is able to harvest electricity with a high enough efficiency to make it practically useful: on the CES floor, they were able to charge a BlackBerry from 30% to full in about 90 minutes, using nothing but ambient WiFi signals as a power source.

The Airnergy has a battery inside it, so you can just carry it around and as long as you’re near some WiFi, it charges itself. Unlike a solar charger, it works at night and you can keep it in your pocket. Of course, proximity to the WiFi source and the number of WiFi sources is important, but at the rate it charges, if you have a home wireless network you could probably just leave anywhere in your house overnight and it would be pretty close to full in the morning.

Here is the really, really unbelievable part: RCA says that the USB charger will be available this summer for $40, and a battery with the WiFi harvesting technology will be available soon after. I mean, all kinds of people are pushing wireless charging, but this would hands down take the cake… It doesn’t need a pad and it’s charging all the time, for free, in just about any urban environment.

We didn’t think you’d believe all this, so we made RCA explain it all on video:

Yeah, we’ll definitely be keeping you updated on this one.

By David Ponce

Unveiled on December 15th at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, the Copenhagen Wheel is an MIT project that aims to “to promote cycling by extending the range of distance people can cover and by making the whole riding experience smoother so that even steep inclines are no longer a barrier to comfortable cycling.” It’s a device that can be retrofitted to any bike and does a whole bunch of stuff. For one, through a type of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), it stores energy every time you apply the brakes and gives it back to you when it senses you might need it, like when going uphill. Additionally, there’s an iPhone app (connected through Bluetooth) that would allow you to track a number of variables such as “speed, direction and distance traveled. [It would also] collect data on air pollution and even the proximity of the rider’s friends.”

The initial prototypes of the Copenhagen Wheel were developed along with company Ducati Energia and the Italian Ministry of the Environment. It is expected that the wheel will go into production next year, with a tag price competitive with that of a standard electric bike

Keep reading for a video of the device in action.

VIA [ PopSci ]