New remote-controlled robot at ODU lets visitors tour art galleries from home (The Virginian-Pilot)
The idea, initially, sounds absurd: A robot loose in a museum, its cameras zooming in and out, up and down, remotely controlled by people at home.
But this is Gordon, a telepresence robot, who (or which) is designed to safely navigate the Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries at Old Dominion University.
The robot, named after the couple behind the bulk of the collection, can be driven by anyone with good Wi-Fi and a computer keyboard or mouse. Gordon's "face" is a tablet with two, 13-megapixel cameras that serve as eyes for the viewer piloting the robot. The viewer's face appears on the screen, and a built-in microphone and speaker let the person ask staff a question.
