Keith DyerOne innovative aspect of CLOUD CITY’s exhibition has been the use of robots to give virtual attendees a telepresence at the event.
Some exhibitors that have been unable to attend have presented remotely to in-person visitors on the stand. And, vice versa, some attendees that have stayed at home have attended meetings with exhibitors at the event via robot.
The robots are equipped with a 4K camera and a navigation camera, along with a 2D Lidar for collision avoidance. Someone wanting to telepresence into the event is sent a dedicated link. They can then control the robot from their computer or phone, steer round the event and tilt the angle of the camera. Otherwise it’s like being on a normal video call, just with more control of what you see and where you are.
The robots are designed by OhmniLabs, and the deployment of 100 of them at CLOUD CITY is the largest number of robots the company has deployed for one event so far, according to brand manager Ruben Gonzalez. The robots at the event are the 12th generation of robots, which are 3D-printed, he added. The first iteration was the one that company co-founder and CTO Jared Go designed to stay in touch with his family whilst he was at college. Maybe he didn’t know then that he was making something that would one day bring people together for a hybrid tradeshow.
