One of the reasons we prefer using netbooks for video-calling at Vizitant is because they come with built-in webcams on the bezel, centered just above the screen. That ensures the best illusion of eye contact possible, using today's generation of technology, because while you're focusing on your correspondent's image on screen your gaze is just barely askew of looking directly into the camera. And so it seems to your caller that you're almost looking them in the eye. Though not quite.
That's why I find it so interesting to learn that Apple has filed a patent to hide the webcam behind the display!
"The filing explains how today's built-in cameras require a user to look
away from the lens in order to see his or her video conferencing
participants. Constantly looking back and forth between the display screen and the
camera ... can be distracting and make the conversation seem awkward
and unnatural."
It's exciting to think that Apple could soon crack this niggling problem with today's video calling solutions and take us ever closer to replicating a true eye-to-eye experience.
There has been a plethora of interesting news stories recently relating to the growth of video conferencing in the corporate space. Here's a quick summary -
The Enterprise Ireland newsletter focuses on the saving to be made by cutting travel costs - "As well as saving time, six out of 10 managers said videoconferencing is a way to slash travel budgets, with one in four calculating the savings at over 30 percent."
The Belfast Telegraph says Now is the time for Teleworking - "Eight years ago, Anna Mariana-Morris became the concierge at the Hyatt Regency
hotel in Santa Clara, California (http://santaclara.hyatt. com). She also
works from home, 80 miles away. She appears to guests on a 42-inch plasma TV
in the lobby and sees them via a webcam. If they need directions or other
assistance, she looks the information up on the web at home and prints it
out on a printer at the hotel reception. See a description of how it works here."
Gartner Analysts predict -"The economic crisis will drive uptake of
enterprise telepresence services at the expense of the travel industry
in the next three years, Gartner predicts.Gartner analysts predict that
high-definition based video meeting solutions will replace 2.1 million
airline seats annually, costing the global travel and hospitality
industry $3.5 billion per year."
Silicon Republic published a very interesting article about telepresence pioneer Cisco and why the research and development they're doing here in Ireland offers great hope for the future of our economy -
That’s why a $3m (€2.2m) investment in R&D by internet giant Cisco at a Galway university research lab could sow the right seeds and cement Ireland’s reputation as a core enabler for the future of the internet.
The California-headquartered firm employs 200 people in Ireland – 140 at an R&D operation in Galway, and 60 in Dublin – has committed to a $3m collaboration with the National University of Ireland, Galway campus organisation, Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), to develop business technologies Cisco aims to bring to market in the next three years.
Cisco established its global R&D arm in Galway two years ago, and general manager Mike Conroy explains that the operation is ahead of schedule in terms of employment and research goals.
He says the group has developed core technologies – ranging from videoconferencing systems based around Cisco’s TelePresence technology to voice, video and instant messaging for health workers and business professionals.
It's a rather long video, at just under 6 minutes, but well worth watching if you're not yet convinced about the value of touch on a PC. Just look at how much more intuitive an inteface it makes in the use of numerous applications -
But the gizmo which captures more of the spirit of this project than any other was ironically the least affordable and practical. Nevertheless I have to salute the vision of the wizards behind the Anybot QA videoconferencing robot which, despite it's $15,000 price tag, hints at the exciting future possibilities of humanoid telepresence.
GetRobo says, "Unlike previously announced telepresence robots from other companies - such as Rovio or ConnectR - QA is designed to look like a human albeit on wheels.It stands 5 feet tall and a 5-megapixel camera is situated on the neck. The great advantage of this is
that it is much easier for the person who is controlling the robot via
a PC thousands of miles away from the robot, to communicate with the people that are in the same room as the robot.... And I think QA would be very useful in Japanese nursing homes where the small number of staff are constantly being beeped by the elderly people. If QA can run over to their rooms to chat with them and allow the nurses to focus on the real emergencies, I think it would be a great help."
I'm not convinced of that really, not in it's current form and cost. For one thing it's a mistake to have the display screen in the robot's chest. Why ruin the humanoid illusion with that placement? Not only does it inhibit 'eye-contact' but it requires much stooping by any average height person. Neither am I sure of the Segway inspired two-wheeled self-balancing transport. Fine for an unrealistically flat and tidy expanse of floor. But how many nursing homes have that? Much more suitable would be the real walking action of a bipedal Asimo.
Those gripes aside it's wonderful to see progress being made in this area, especially considering my first post to this blog was about a basic telepresence robot being trialled at an Irish hospital. So lots to inspire. [Enjoy watching AnyBot QA in action in the video below]
One of my predictions for 2009 -- "Asus kickstarted the netbook craze in 2008 and will do likewise for touchscreen PCs in the home in 2009. The Eee Top will be another category defining hit for the Taiwanese innovator" -- looks like it's coming true sooner than expected. At CES 2009 MSI is introducting the Wind NetOn touchscreen all-in-one desktop.
It didn't take a prophet to see that coming but what I didn't forecast was a dual-core version which is interesting for a number of reasons. Apart from being faster and more power efficient it will support Skype High Quality Video which is quite a bit better than standard quality.
It looks like MSI could steal the low-end video-conferencing crown from Asus right out of the block.
It’s All Virtual is a blog written by Dennis Shiao which covers the virtual world from a Business-to-Business
perspective: Virtual Worlds, Virtual Tradeshows, Virtual Meetings and
more.
Dennis is a media industry
product manager who has worked on numerous Virtual Tradeshow (VTS)
campaigns for Business-to-Business technology advertisers. In addition to VTS, he also writes about virtual worlds (e.g. Second Life), virtual meetings and
telepresence.
Now Dennis have very kindly posted an interview I did with him over the weekend where I explained the motivation behind Vizitant and where we're planing to go in the next year or two.
The really great thing about making contact with people like Dennis is being (virtually) introduced to other very interesting people in their network - like Meri Walker, the Virtual Meeting Coach, who commented to the interview on Dennis' blog. I've taken Meri up on her kind invitation to do a guest post on her blog soon.
"I think it’s crazy that senior homes, hospitals and hospices don’t come standard with a video call station.
This is not anything fancy. It’s a computer, a webcam, and a megabit of
internet. Ideally wireless to move into rooms for the truly infirm. Yet
when I have asked for this I have found myself to be the first person
to ask, or found that there are policies against internet use by any
but the staff."
Brad goes on to cover a number of issues in terms of software, hardware and system configuration and makes many interesting suggestions for how to optimize the video-calling experience for the elderly.
I've been explaining how Vizitant tackles these issues by way of comment to the blog post and look forward to learning more from Brad in the continuing discussion.
High-end videoconferencing (i.e. Telepresence) pioneer Cisco is sponsoring a series of videos called Digital Cribs which focuses on the human network and how we use consumer technology in new and interesting ways.
One clip I found particularly interesting showed how Hollywood producer Jerry Ying and his young daughter Chayse use video-conferencing to keep close even when Jerry's work takes him away from home. Well worth watching.
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