Telecommuting Merges with DIY Telepresence
	Posted 5 Sep 2007 at 14:29 UTC by Rog-a-matic

Telecommuting Software Engineer Ivan Bowman goes the next step with a DIY telepresence system he calls IvanAnywhere. From Halifax to Waterloo, Ivan interacts with coworkers through a laptop computer attached to a vertical bar mounted on a mobile base packed full of batteries. The laptop screen shows a real-time image of Ivan's face while audio streams through the speaker and microphone. Remote joystick control of the drive motors is assisted by IR obstacle avoidance sensors. What's interesting is that coworkers say they have fully adapted to Ivan's presence through the machine.