A videoconferencing robot has come to the aid of an ill student in Texas that is unable to attend classes.
Lyndon has a medical condition that affects his immune system and has not been able to continually participate in normal
lessons since he was seven. Now, the VGo robot traverses the campus, attending classes and acting as a conduit through which
Lyndon can interact with students and staff.
VGo, created by VGo Communications, is located on the school campus and the student’s
presence is transmitted and controlled using his laptop. The robot has wheels and a monitor that shows Lyndon’s face and speakers
to project his voice as he converses. In turn the camera allows him to “see and hear” what the other students are
experiencing. He can interact with them.
The roving robot was also traversing the halls at the ISE show last week in
Amsterdam. German distributor, Vitec, was showing him off in the IP pavilion. Dr Wilhelm J. Mettner, general manager of the Mainz
headquartered company, tipped VGo for use in factory applications. Mettner believes as manufacturing operations become increasingly removed from a company’s headquarters,
VGo will give managers the freedom to traverse factory floors, interacting with employees and getting a first hand view of any problems occurring.