Google Engineer Builds an Affordable DIY Telepresence Robot To Keep In Touch With Remote Fiancee

By Clay Dillow Posted 02.16.2011 at 10:54 am 6 Comments

DIY Telepresence Robot Procrastineering

Johnny Lee wanted a telepresence robot, but he didn’t want to pay thousands of dollars for one. So he did what any good hacker would do: bought a netbook, bought a roomba-like iRobot, and built a simple one himself for about $500.

The setup is simple with only two real components: the iRobot Create robot and a simple camera-equipped Windows 7 netbook, both costing about $250. Running software he wrote in (it’s available for free on his site) and using a USB connector available from iRobot, he patched the two together so the netbook and the robot can be controlled remotely from another computer (for video chat he simply uses Skype).

The only real DIY project here is constructing a stand to raise the netbook up to seated level, should you prefer your ‘bot to have a higher-than-cat’s-eye view (the understanding here is that if you can’t fashion a simple stand, you probably shouldn’t be trying to build a telepresence robot). Lee has even outlined an advanced modification that allows you to park your remote bot in a wireless charging station so you won’t need another person to unplug your remote bot from the wall.

It’s not exactly an Anybots QB, but it’s not $15,000 dollars either. And we’re willing to bet you could still send it out for coffee, just like the QB. Get the step-by-step from Lee below.

Previous Article: Dinner To Go: A Nitrous-Injected Dining Table

Next Article: Sponsored Post: SPEED Car Warriors

Want to read more articles like this, plus tips and tricks, home hacks, DIY projects, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science today, for less than $1 per issue!

6 Comments

Link to this comment

-my name here-

02/16/11 at 11:12 am

all you need is skype, two laptops (or makbooks)a stand of some sort, and a remote control car. maybe two, if it's too heavy for one.

Link to this comment

MaggieL

02/16/11 at 11:24 am

More money, more function:

http://labs.oracle.com/projects/mc/porta-person.html

Link to this comment

CosmicJoker42

02/16/11 at 11:52 am

i like this one.

http://xkcd.com/413/

Link to this comment

JayAre

02/16/11 at 11:55 am

I don't have any need for this at all, yet I want to build one. Cheers.

Link to this comment

GotchaLookin

02/16/11 at 1:53 pm

Big Congratulations!

This will be a great boon for health clinics, long-term rehab centers, and senior citizens homes - anywhere doctor-patient and patient-family interactions can be fostered by an easy to build and maintain tele-presence system.

It could also reduce the travel budget for Congressional boondoggle trips - while enhancing personal security at public appearances. AND - it could clean up the floors after every public event!

Probably worth thinking about putting together a foundation to help educate the public and get these built and running around out there.

Google, iRobot, HP, and Skype would love the publicity!

Link to this comment

whizmeeting

02/18/11 at 9:33 am

Telepresence Technology allows a closer rapport development with interactive real time visuals
blog.whizmeeting

Popular Tags

DIY

Regular Features

Gray Matter with Theodore Gray | Extreme experiments

All Tags All Photos All Videos

DIY

+ More Photo Galleries

June 2013: American Energy Independence

Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.