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What Are Some of the Advantages To Telepresence Technologies? Telepresence Technology has begun to take the world by storm. No longer used solely for video-calls or remote-conferences, entire companies are now created strictly for the purpose of research, development and implementation of Telepresence Rooms.
Simply stated, telepresence is the ability to immerse an individual or group into a remote environment, giving the impression of actually being present. This is accomplished via the use of high-definition sound and video, usually transmitted through a large screen or series of screens. Newer technology offers the ability to manipulate objects by controlling robotic hands, or a complete robot. With tactile responses transferred to the remote user, the feeling of being physically present is greatly enhanced.
Using Telepresence Technologies to Increase Profits
With rising fuel costs, ensuring employees arrive to face-to-face meetings is a huge part of a corporation’s budget. Regardless of the mode of transportation chosen, travel expenses affect even the smallest company’s bottom line. When factoring in time and frustration, — hotel stays, actual travel time and even checking in at an airport – the extra cost becomes even more apparent. For example, companies in Asia alone realized a 29 percent savings on travel related cost between 2008 and 2009 due to telepresence and time saved.
How Are Telepresence Technologies Used?
Aside from the most obvious use in teleconferencing, telepresence technology is being used more often for its remote manipulation capabilities. From military reconnaissance to sewer line inspection, telepresence is used in ways most people never think about. Bomb squads use this technology to keep personnel safe in dangerous situations. Cameras mounted on mini-all-terrain vehicles are instrumental in search and rescue missions where the environment is unsafe for humans. Vehicles such as the Mar’s Rover use this technology for exploration.
Telepresence is now being tested for controlling robots during surgery. Life-saving procedures will soon be performed directly on the battlefield without risk to the medics. Research is even being done to utilize this technology in evaluating psychiatric patients remotely.
What is the Impact of Telepresence Technology on the Environment?
Airline and passenger vehicle travel are the two largest contributors of greenhouse gas on the planet today. The use of telepresence technologies, even by a small company, has a marked effect on carbon footprints. To put this in perspective, one corporation — using four telepresence rooms over the period of five years — will have the same effect as removing 400 passenger vehicles from the countries’ highways.
This figure increases exponentially as the size of a company grows. If firms in the United States alone would use this technology, the reduction of carbon emissions would be equivalent to that of 880,000 cars by the year 2020.
Are Telepresence Technologies Worth the Cost?
In monetary terms alone, the investment in telepresence technologies is more than worth the cost. While the amount required to implement this technology will vary according to the size of the corporation, the average time of Return on Investment, or ROI, is 15 months. In addition to the impact telepresence has on the environment, it virtually pays for itself in less than two years.
It is evident that the advantages of telepresence technologies are vast and varied. With more research being done on this technology every day, leaving the office for the next global meeting may well become a thing of the past.
Guest post by:
Article written by Jet Russell. In his spare time jet likes Jet likes to contribute to the blogosphere – for which he is a constant contributor. He likes to write articles on everything that range from business, to travel, to Internet marketing.
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