Double Robot Wants to Take Over the Office, Not the World

“Aiiee!” I heard one woman scream as I silently cruised around the office, rolling up to coworkers, darting between aisles and popping into meetings. “What is that?” she said as she stared back at my rail-thin body and flat, shiny head. It’s a Double Robotics telepresence robot," I said, smiling, and then turned in place and sped off to startle someone else.

Most people who saw me — or, rather the robot version of myself — test-driving the $2,499 Double Robotics telepresence robot called it “creepy/cool.” While there was no denying the utility of a robot that you can remotely control from anywhere in the world, most of my coworkers found the rolling, whisper-quiet Double robot a bit discomfiting. Read more...