presented in IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems

1. Report
Using Video conference system
Watching the forum located 50km away
Virtual Technical tour to a research lab
located 150km away from the island
A Use Case of Telepresence Robots
for Science Communication
Satoshi Makita, Takanobu Maeda
(National Institute of Technology,
Sasebo College，JAPAN)
Summary
Using telepresence robots and video conference systems, we aim to solve social problems of the is-
lands attributed to the geographic problems. The people living in the small islands have less opportu-
nities of communication with outside of the islands because of traffic problems. In addition, absence
of museums and universities prevents the people to study state-of-the-arts technologies and science.
Motivation: Solve social inequality of Educational opportunities
Children living in the small islands has few chances to learn state-of-the-arts technologies and science, comparing with the cities
Problem: Geographical and traffic conditions - Connected only by ships and airplanes, not cars.
Few museums and no universities - Necessary to leave the hometown to advance higher education
Method
Using ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) to cancel the geographical barriers
● Telepresence robots: Conversation via the internet with built-in camera and remote mobility
● Double 2 (Double Robotics, inc.): an inverted wheeled robot
Its mobility helps remote operators look around the remote place without any other supports (Tele-existence)
● Video conference system: A substitute for the robot to continue to communicate
● appear.in (https://appear.in/), zoom (https://zoom.us/): Conversation on the browsers without any regis-
tered accounts (Up to 8 participants in appear.in, 500 in zoom)
● Skype, LINE, etc.: Registration needed (Up to 25 participants in Skype, 200 in LINE)
● Live streaming: Broadcasting activities such as forums, discussions and events
● YouTube Live, Ustream, etc.: Registration needed to broadcast, but not needed to watch
the video
Note: Every User of the above tools is not always familiar to electronic devices and computers
-> Importance of casual usability
Using Telepresence robot
Tele-communication with the robot
Virtual Technical tour to a science muse-
um in the island located 230km away
Live streaming
Science cafe (http://science-islands.jp/)
RSJ open forum
「このロボットがすごい」 (Awesome Robots!)
http://konorobo.main.jp/
This project is supported by Center for Science Communication, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)