While Beams have been used in many of the ways we imagined when we created our telepresence systems, human ingenuity has led to some very creative uses of Beam.
It’s now fairly common for students or teachers to “Beam In” to be a part of the classroom experience, from experiencing or giving a lecture “in person,” to joining a lively post-class discussion or even going on a field trip to a museum. We also foresaw people with physical disabilities using Beam to broaden their horizons and be present in myriad ways.
We’re excited that doctors truly no longer have to worry about borders when it comes to patient care and staff management, and other medical professionals, including nurses, can reach those who otherwise wouldn’t have access to healthcare. Beams have also been used to give TED Talks, attend conferences and provide on-site client servicing.
Our vision of Beams making it easy for people to collaborate, check in and be present no matter where they are in the world has come to life in so many profound ways -- some of which have been both surprising and ingenious.
Here are five unexpected ways we’ve seen Beams used:
1) To engage in friendly athletic competition
That’s right -- unlike other telepresence technology, Beam pilots can demonstrate their athletic prowess with friendly competition, such as “robot ice dancing, the sport of the future,” inspired by the recent Winter Olympic games.
We were inspired by @MaiaShibutani and @AlexShibutani and @TeamUSA during the @NBCOlympics and decided to have a little office fun with some of our @suitabletech robots. We're very pleased to present robot ice dancing - the winter sport of the future! #BestOfUS #worklife pic.7905d1c4e12c54933a44d19fcd5f9356-gdprlock/3OFfT6Yh10
— Course Hero (@CourseHero) February 20, 2018
2) As weather-defying “transport”
When the weather outside is frightful, it really is delightful to stay cozy, warm and dry inside. And sometimes you don’t even have a choice -- so while using Beam to save travel budget, time and wear and tear on frequent flyers is an expected use -- it’s those unexpected weather-related delays where Beam truly saves the day. When nobody else can make it to that all-important meeting because of airport closures, companies that already use Beam to be in two places at once never have to worry or scramble to make alternative arrangements.
3) As an effective recruitment tool
Syracuse Football not only saves time and budget by using Beam as a part of their “new era of recruiting,” they also send a powerful message to strong candidates that their program is cutting-edge and forward thinking.
It's a new era in recruiting. Come see our facilities and interact with our staff with our Beam Pro from @suitabletech pic.7905d1c4e12c54933a44d19fcd5f9356-gdprlock/QKLv3I52e8
— Dino Babers (@CoachBabersCuse) May 5, 2017
4) As a concession stand
Admittedly this is one of our favorite conference party tricks: roaming the exhibitor floor with stocked candy dispensers -- but it looks like it may have inspired real-world hosts with the most (well, at least we hope it does =)
5) To greet the public
Being that friendly face to greet people is a warm and welcome way to use Beam. And now that Beam is available at Walmart -- known for its “people greeters” -- there may be a whole telepresence trend that just opened up!
#liveupdate #SunEduOpenDay Our telepresence robot, ‘Salty’, takes on a new face as our Senior Executive Director, @elee618, visits the Jeffrey Cheah Hall to meet the parents and new students! pic.7905d1c4e12c54933a44d19fcd5f9356-gdprlock/VOaolcxdd4
— Sunway College (@SunwayC) December 16, 2017
What are some of the creative ways you use Beam? Share your favorite pics on social media and be sure to tag us!
