In case you missed these articles, we wanted to share a“robot roundup” of stories that make us beam — with pride. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for the people who use our telepresence systems by helping them make connections and extend their world in profoundly human ways.
Museums, “Moe-bot” and The Mob
Pamela Forth’s fiancé, Rob Sprong, had little mobility after a car accident left him a quadriplegic. Determined to broaden Sprong’s horizons, Forth found that the Mob Museum in Las Vegas is one of 10 national museums that uses the Beam Pro to offer virtual visits with what they affectionately call a “Moe-bot.” This CNET article explores how telepresence technology is opening the door for those with physical disabilities to enjoy a variety of cultural experiences.
“So many people treat quadriplegics like, since their body is broken, their mind should be too,” Forth said. “It doesn’t occur to them that it’s the same person.”
Using Robots for Remote Work Adds Up to a Win For Employers and Employees Alike
Boutique accounting firm Navolio & Tallman LLP is dedicated to using technology to allow their employees more flexible work schedules and the ability to work off-site, but they also want to ensure that their remote staff stays connected. With the addition of a Beam, face-to-face meetings, training sessions and even lunch breaks are now viable, bonding experiences. This LinkedIn Pulse post shares how using a Beam to support employee engagement is part of the reason that Navolio & Tallman is included in Accounting Today’s rankings of the Best Accounting Firms to Work For.
Going to This Principal’s Office is a Pleasure, Not a Punishment
For Chicago’s Mann Elementary School students, a visit from the principal isn’t unusual – but this time, it was via Beam and included several special guests. Consulting company Accenture brought in a Beam and Microsoft Surface Hub to the public school, enabling Mann students to chat with Accenture employees from Chicago to Bangalore, India. The fifth graders also used their school-issued laptops to learn the basics of coding.
“The whole project is to get kids excited about the future of technology,” teacher librarian Kathy Rolfes told the Chicago Tribune.
Bringing the World, One Human at a Time, Closer Together
In its Guru Series, BBC contributor, author and CEO Coach, Steve Tappin, spoke to Suitable Technologies founder Scott Hassan about the implications of using a beam for remote work. While they discussed the benefits from never having to commute again to allowing companies to bring in talent from all over the world, the theme overall was about the enhanced interpersonal experience telepresence technology affords:
“They’re really just humans talking to humans from a distance. If you use a Beam long enough you very quickly lose that emotional distance,” said Hassan.
Denver Broncos Get a Kick Out of STEM
Denver Broncos long snapper Casey Kreiter is a science super fan. While pursuing a career in the NFL, he was also a student teacher at Iowa City Regina High School. Now that he’s an official Bronco, the organization is helping him realize his other dream: to keep teaching, regardless of where he is physically located. Using a BeamPro, Kreiter is helping his students complete a STEM project this school year.
“Some people from the organization reached out and they had already had a STEM initiative in place through the Broncos,” Kreiter told CBS2 Iowa’s Mitch Fick. “So they heard I was a science teacher and wanted to see if I was interested in doing anything. I’ve always said, ‘I love playing football, but I love teaching also.’ ”
These are a few of our favorite recent human-interest stories – check our blog and social channels in the near future for more stories about Beam bringing people together.