Taptic Toys iPad telepresence robot roams the WWDC keynote line

If you were in the keynote line at WWDC this morning, you may have been approached by a robot bearing greetings and a smile. That robot, which rolls about on two wheels Segway-like, has an iPad for a head and was being controlled by one of the co-founders of Taptic Toys, Romina Espinosa, who was in Los Angeles at the time.

Telepresence robots are designed to give home workers a way to "walk around" a real office or plant without really being there. While Taptic Toys hasn't turned this into a real product at this time, the idea is great. I'd personally love to be able to send my robot to stand in a keynote line for me while I laze at home 1,000 miles away. Could you imagine being able to send one of these around a foreign city so that you could tour it without leaving your home?

This is a very cool concept, and we're sure to see more innovative uses of iOS and Mac OS X technology in the days to come.

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Source: http://taptictoys.com/

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Video iPad

I'd personally love to be able to send my robot to stand in a keynote line for me while I laze at home 1,000 miles away

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kwildes33

This is not a robot (as far as I can tell from the info here). Robots can perform functions on their own. This is a remote control toy. Stick your iPad on an RC car, same thing. Cool concept, but I hate it that we now call everything a robot because robots are cool and RC is so 1990's, 80's, etc.

June 12 2011 at 9:46 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

usbikepolo

I would rather go to the foreign city and leave the robot at home to keep an eye on the house.

June 06 2011 at 7:59 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

thebtls

All I need for my iPad is FLASH.....FLASH STEVE.....FLASH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 06 2011 at 7:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Glenn

Just waiting for an iPad with a USB port (into which an externally powered USB bus could be plugged in), earphone jack port and an external video port. That way I could use it in the office with all the USB attachments (i.e., printer, real keyboard, CD / DVD burner, 16+GB flash drive, etc.), and still carry it around. Now that would truly be a portable and useful system. Just dreaming, but would definitely consider buying one. (Willing to bet Mr. Jobs and company are already working on this.)

June 06 2011 at 4:44 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Glenn's comment

AMANDA

you are so right !!!! I just got my new I pad 2 in about 2 weeks ago and i have the cables to hook to my flat screen tv which is cool but it is really useless with out a mouse and a keyboard... they need to make something that maybe is removeable so that if u needed the usb ports u would have then but if u were not using them at that time then u could store it... great thinking Glenn... i had the same thought process!!!

June 06 2011 at 4:53 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

jimboChiLi

why !!??!!

June 06 2011 at 4:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

drylwm

So, when the "thing" goes missing (and how can you prevent them from being MIA), do you report a theft or a kidnapping?

June 06 2011 at 4:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ponesy

"Tour a foreign city without leaving your home"? Yes, let's all sit in front of our computers without leaving home so the REST of the owrld can live while we just WATCH.

June 06 2011 at 3:09 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

windswest

real cool - until you come to stairs, a narrow aisle or a coworker with a baseball bat ....

June 06 2011 at 3:08 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

Hello

Great use of the iPad! But how does one who remains local, securely get the robot to the end local safely and keep it secure - from theft? Etc....

Am I missing something or was this just for "possibilities" purposes?

June 06 2011 at 3:04 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Hello's comment

Romina Espinosa

Mainly for possibilities. We wanted to do this project because we think it could be really cool and people might benefit from it. There's a lot of opportunities for a robot like this. This is the first prototype... so none of the details that you stated were worked out yet. (:

June 08 2011 at 7:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply