There are already a few telepresence robots on the market, but none that use Apple’s iPad. iRobot's AVA is a self-navigating, tablet-controlled droid that can map out environments, project your presence into remote locations, and turn virtually any app into a mobile platform. AVA, short for "avatar," is a three-wheel platform that runs on software from the company's military robots like PackBot. It has a Wi-Fi-linked tablet mounted on a mast that can move up and down, from about 3 feet to a maximum height of about 5 feet. The robot uses two PrimeSense sensors, the same ones used in the Kinect, as well as microphones and speakers, laser rangefinders, scanning acoustic sensors, and bump sensors for obstacles. Unlike telepresence robots that rely on remote control to move around, AVA can learn and map out its environment, taking some of the navigation tedium out of telepresence. It also has a maximum speed of 6 feet per second, making it virtually impossible for some people to escape from it. iRobot hasn’t given a release date as of yet but you can bet it will be out before next year.
Eavesdropper