It's nice to be able to keep track of seek or elderly friends and family remotely --sometimes they are out of camera shot, however. Should you not hear from a person, I would like to see a video camera equipped robot that could be operated, via remote control through a computer connection. Should the person in question not contact you at established time periods, you could go to a website, activate the video robot remotely and have it travel through the house (or outside through a "dog door") looking for signs of life. The robot would be controlled via an "always live" standard toy radio control device connected to a usb port and controlled through associated software. If no sign of life is found, call a family member or friend to look in on the person, or call emergency services. The same device could be used to remotely scout your home or business for intruders.
-- Sunstone, Aug 21 2008

Wowwee Rovio http://www.meetrovio.com/
Pretty much baked (Wowwee have some cool stuff...) [neutrinos_shadow, Aug 27 2008]

Virtual visiting robot (not released yet) http://store.irobot...&origkw=%20ConnectR
Drive the robot around your home to see, hear and interact with whomever and whatever you want [Sunstone, Mar 03 2009, last modified May 31 2016]

Meet Zenbo https://www.theguar...artphone-voice-face
Zendo will alert caregivers to dangers and allow them to remotely control the bot [Sunstone, May 31 2016]

This is just creepy.
What if Grandma's in the bathroom shaving the ol' landing strip?
Why not just pick up the phone and call?
-- phoenix, Aug 22 2008


Grandma can turn it off.
-- Voice, Aug 22 2008


It needs safeguards, lots of safeguards, but I think it grants the possibility of more freedom for some, so (+). Also I think audio is the first step torwards contact. This minimizes the initial intrusion. Also maybe some kind of a movement requirement, where the robot monitors movement or lack of movement remotely thru RFID.

Basically you have to allow contact without removing privacy.

Still I think you are missing your real audience, people with distant realestate. Big storm up by your summer house? Well, have a look and see if we have to make an early trip or call for some local repairs.

Also I do remote tech support, so if you could have one that works off a wireless phone connection, so I could look at screens, printers and switches that would be great.
-- MisterQED, Aug 22 2008


"What if Grandma's in the bathroom shaving the ol' landing strip?"

Rule 34 - There's a website for that.
-- normzone, Aug 22 2008


If it was A Noisy, Bot, a lot of the privacy...issues could be, avoided.

It just needs more...
cowbell.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 22 2008


Make it like a tiny Dalek .... [+]
-- 8th of 7, Aug 28 2008


<dalek voice>

INVESTIGATE.... INVESTIGATE...

</d> [+]
-- Custardguts, Mar 03 2009


I'd rather give Grandma a necklace with a wireless camera on it. Then if she got lost, I could use the camera to look for street signs.
-- colorclocks, Mar 03 2009


um could you just have their handyphone have an ultrsonic transducer on it that can visualize through garments and detect a pulse? the handyphone could have a near field global transparency mode... Thz as well if the transducers are affordable
-- beanangel, Jun 04 2016


How is this not just telepresence, which is widely baked?
-- notexactly, Jul 03 2016


So a bunch of old people running down the street, being chased by robots yelling "Come back, Grandpa" (and from at least one smartass operator: 'Crush, Kill, Destroy') ? ... have a shiny metal bun [+]
-- FlyingToaster, Jul 03 2016



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