TELEPRESENCE

Arun T. Ravindran
S1 MBA IB Roll No.: 04 School of Management Studies CUSAT !ochi " ## $mail: %a&ita%un'1()ahoo.co.in
Abstract: Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance that they were present, or to have an effect, at a location other than their true location. Telepresence requires that the senses of the user, or users, be provided with such stimuli as to give the feeling of being in that other location. Additionally, the user(s) may be given the ability to affect the remote location. In this case, the user's position, movements, actions, voice, etc. may be sensed, transmitted and duplicated in the remote location to bring about this effect. Therefore information may be traveling in both directions between the user and the remote location. Key Words: Telepresence, Telepresence Applications, Telepresence technology.

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance that they were present, or to have an effect, at a location other than their true location. Telepresence requires that the senses of the user, or users, be provided with such stimuli as to give the feeling of being in that other location. Additionally, the user(s) may be given the ability to affect the remote location. In this case, the user's position, movements, actions, voice, etc. may be sensed, transmitted and duplicated in the remote location to bring about this effect. Therefore information may be traveling in both directions between the user and the remote location. Telepresence is a matter of degree. arely will a Telepresence system provide such comprehensive and convincing stimuli that the user perceives no differences from actual presence. !ut the user may set aside such differences, depending on the application. "atching television, for e#ample, although it stimulates our primary senses of vision and hearing, rarely gives the impression that the watcher is no longer at home. $owever, television sometimes engages the senses sufficiently to trigger emotional responses from viewers somewhat li%e those e#perienced by people who directly witness or e#perience events. Televised depictions of sports events, or disasters such as the &eptember '' terrorist attac%s, can elicit strong emotions from viewers. As the screen si(e increases, so does the sense of immersion, as well as the range of sub)ective mental e#periences available to viewers. &ome viewers have reported a sensation of genuine vertigo or motion sic%ness while watching I*A+ movies of flying or outdoor sequences. ,ven the fairly simple telephone achieves a limited form of Telepresence, in that users consider themselves to be tal%ing to each other rather than tal%ing to the telephone itself. *ost often, currently feasible Telepresence gear leaves something to be desired- the user must suspend disbelief to some degree, and choose to act in a natural way, appropriate to the remote location, perhaps using some s%ill to operate the equipment. In contrast, a telephone user does not see herself as .operating. the telephone, but merely tal%ing to another person with it.

2.0 TEC NOLO!"

*uch of this is similar to that used for /irtual eality e#cept of course in / the user is immersed in a computer generated world whereas in Telepresence the user is immersed in a remote real world. The user needs to be presented with the stimuli of the remote site and to have the ability to e#ercise control over the remote site. Therefore video, audio, and haptic display systems such as head mounted displays ($*0s), autostereoscopic display screens, stereo headphones, and gloves or other devices equipped with touch sensing, may all be used by the home site system operator. 1lfactory displays could also be used but practical commercial systems have yet to be developed. 2ontrol also needs to be e#ercised by the human operator and devices such as head and body trac%ing devices, )oystic%s, master hands and arms in the form of gloves and e#os%eletal structures, and other application specific controllers, are used. The displays and controllers are usually interfaced to the communication lin% via a microprocessor3based system, in our case a 42. This provides a graphical and te#tual control interface for the user, handles signal processing and, if necessary, image

decompression. &ometimes there is an additional 210,2 (signal coder5decoder) between the microprocessor system and the communication lin%.

2.1 Co##$%&cat&o% L&%'

Any communication lin% may be used by a telepresence system The specific type chosen will depend on factors such as the distance between the home and remote site, the bandwidth requirements, the sensitivity of the system to latency and delays in the lin%, availability of services at both home and remote sites, and the relative costs. 6or e#ample the highest fidelity of immersion would be obtainable from a direct, dedicated, umbilical lin% between home and remote sites with effectively unlimited bandwidth. At the other e#treme we have used a very low bandwidth 7 %bps mobile telephone lin% to transmit live video and control signals.

2.2 Re#ote S&te E($&)#e%t

*uch of this equipment is similar to that found in the field of robotics. $owever, unless telerobotic systems are being considered, Telepresence systems do not demand autonomous operation 3 by definition they require a human in the control loop to provide the system intelligence. Typical equipment found at the remote site would therefore include- pan and tilt monoscopic and stereoscopic camera platforms, other sensor platforms including microphones and touch, force, and olfactory sensors, slave manipulators and grippers, and mobility providers such as wheeled or trac%ed vehicles. Again a microprocessor3based system is normally necessary for control and signal processing. Also in many cases, depending on bandwidth availability, a means of grabbing the video and compressing it before transmission is necessary. The interface between the remote site equipment and the communication lin% is similar to that at the home site. If, though it is not normal, there is a human presence at the remote site then a means of communication is valuable and a loudspea%er system is useful.

2.* So+t,are A))-&cat&o%s

Telepresence applications incorporate a variety of new and e#isting standards3based software for accommodating converged voice and video transmissions, including8 I4 telephony 9 Telepresence wor%s with I43based phones. This can simplify launching calls because it uses a telephone instead of a complicated remote control. :roupware 9 Integration with enterprise groupware solutions (such as *icrosoft 1utloo% and ;otus <otes) accommodates easy scheduling of meetings and access to corporate information. &ervices 9 Telepresence enables easy scheduling, management, reporting, billing, and metrics applications to ensure proper trac%ing and bill3bac% of activity on the system, as well as real3time support services.

*.0 TELEPRESENCE CO..UNICATIONS LINKS

*.1 ISDN 1riginal long distance telepresence e#periments were conducted using an I&0< line. A !ritish Telecom /2=>>> video conferencing terminal was used to compress video at the emote &ite which was transmitted via I&0<. At the ?sers &ite, another /2=>>> decompressed the video for display on a / $eadset. The /2=>>> also allowed control signals sent via a pseudo

&@A@ lin% over the I&0< lin%. I&0< offers high bandwidth (7BCbits) but requires special installation of telephone lines and ties you to a fi#ed location.

*.2 !S. .ob&-e Te-e)/o%e

In order to allow free roaming telepresence, the group teamed up with 1range, a ?C mobile telephone company. ?sing 1range's :&* phones, we are now able to demonstrate telepresence from anywhere in the world with :&* coverage. The mobile phone acts as a D.7Cbits modem and can connect to another mobile phone or a standard telephone modem. ?sing mobile phones on both remote and local telepresence sites allows untethered operation at both ends of the communications lin%. The 2omputer &cience 0epartment at &trathclyde ?niversity have developed a unique /ideo 2ompression 210,2 suited to low bandwidth lin%s, such as the mobile phones. /ideo and control signals are sent via the phones and users have been able to be telepresent in our :lasgow lab from numerous locations in the ?C, as well as !oston in the ?& by using an 1range mobile phone with roaming capability.

*.* 10.2K .$-t&1L&%' !S. .ob&-e Te-e)/o%es

A single *obile 4hone lin% restricts us to D.7C!its of data per second. In order to increase this, thus improving the video quality, we have developed a system using two mobile phones running in parallel. The data transmitted is shared between the two phones, giving a 'D.@C bits channel. This also acts as a safety feature. If one phone drops its line, the connection from ?ser to emote &ite is not lost. The other mobile phone %eeps going, leaving us a single D.7Cbits channel. The failed phone can redial and reconnect, restoring the 'D.@Cbits lin%.

*.2 12.23 24.4 a%d **.5K .ode#s

"here the ?ser and the emote &ite are near telephone lines, we can swap the D.7C *obile phones, for AA.7C modems, raising the bandwidth, allowing for better quality compressed video. It also lowers the latency through the communications system.

*.6 Sta%dard Et/er%et

"ithin our laboratory, we are able to connect our emote &ite equipment and user's equipment to a '>*bits ,thernet. This allows very high bandwidth situations to be tested. "e can also restrict the bandwidth to simulate the effects of the other communications systems.

*.5 T/e I%ter%et

!y ma%ing the emote &ite a server connected to the Internet, we have been able to lin% up from anywhere in the world via the Internet. In the ?&, we connected a des%top 42 to the Internet via an A1; account. "e were able to connect to the emote &ite server on :lasgow and send the video and control signals via the Internet. !y using *obile 4hones at the emote &ite to dial into an Internet &ervice 4rovider, anyone who can connect to the Internet can communicate with the remote site. There are problems of varying delays, latencies and bandwidths, but by selecting a low bandwidth, these usual internet bottlenec%s can be minimi(ed.

*.7 Protoco-s
"e are e#perimenting with various protocols over the mobile phones. 1ur current configuration uses a T245I4 lin% between the ?sers &ite and the emote &ite. The 444 protocol is used on standard modem lin%s- mobile phone users have the choice of using 444 or a custom protocol of our own design which minimi(es overheads and ma#imi(es throughput over the :&* networ%. ?sing T245I4 allows us to rapidly switch from lab based ,thernet setups, to Internet 2onnections, to dial3up model and mobile phone connections at ease. These protocols have their overheads and we are researching ways to reduce and remove overheads, increasing the bandwidth of the lin%. This is especially important at mobile phone bandwidths.

*.4 8&deo Co#)ress&o%

All the e#periments (e#cept I&0<) have used the ?niversity's own /ideo 2ompression 210,2 which easily scales from very low (D.7C) to high ('E>C) bandwidths. !y using our own 210,2, we can easily adapt to new situations.

2.0 TELEPRESENCE APPLICATIONS 2.1 Te-eco%+ere%c&%9

ather than traveling great distances, in order to have a face3face meeting, it is now possible to teleconference instead, using a multiday video phone. ,ach member of the meeting, or each party, can see every other member on a screen or screens, and can tal% to them as if they were in the same room. This brings enormous time and cost benefits, as well as a reduced impact on the environment by lessening the need for travel 3 a damaging source of carbon emissions. A good telepresence strategy puts the human factors first, focusing on visual collaboration solutions that closely replicate the brain's innate preferences for interpersonal communications, separating from the unnatural .tal%ing heads. e#perience of traditional videoconferencing. These cues include lifeFsi(e participants, fluid motion, accurate flesh tones and the appearance of true eye contact. This is already a well3established technology, used by many businesses today. The chief e#ecutive officer of 2isco &ystems, Gohn 2hambers in Gune @>>7 at the <etwor%ers 2onference compared telepresence to teleporting from &tar Tre%, and said that he saw the technology as a potential billion dollar mar%et for 2isco. *ichael /endetta, /ice 4resident of ,ngineering of Telaneti# defines Telepresence as a human e#perience of being fully present at a live real world location remote from one's own physical location. &omeone e#periencing video Telepresence would therefore be able to behave, and receive stimuli, as though part of a meeting at the remote site. The fore mentioned would result in interactive participation of group activities that will bring benefits to a wide range of users. Application e#amples could be sited within emergency management and security services, !HI, entertainment and education industries. *i%e Ayres, business development director at ,asy net, a !&%y! 2ompany, highlights the benefits of Telepresence8 .There were four drivers for our decision to do more business over video and telepresence. "e wanted to reduce our travel spend, reduce our carbon footprint

and environmental impact, improve our employees' wor%5life balance, and improve employee productivity..

2.2 Co%%ect&%9 co##$%&t&es

Telepresence can be used to establish a sense of shared presence or shared space among geographically separated members of a group.

2.*

a:ardo$s e%;&ro%#e%ts

*any other applications in situations where humans are e#posed to ha(ardous situations are readily recogni(ed as suitable candidates for telepresence. *ining, bomb disposal, military operations, rescue of victims from fire, to#ic atmospheres, or even hostage situations, are some e#amples.

2.2 P&)e-&%e &%s)ect&o%

&mall diameter pipes otherwise inaccessible for e#amination can now be viewed using pipeline video inspection.

2.6 Re#ote s$r9ery

The possibility of being able to pro)ect the %nowledge and the physical s%ill of a surgeon over long distances has many attractions. Thus, again there is considerable research underway in the sub)ect. (;ocally controlled robots are currently being used for )oint replacement surgery as they are more precise in milling bone to receive the )oints.) The armed forces have an obvious interest since the combination of telepresence, teleoperation, and telerobotics can potentially save the lives of battle casualties by allowing them prompt attention in mobile operating theatres by remote surgeons. ecently, teleconferencing has been used in medicine (telemedicine or telematics), mainly employing audio3visual e#change, for the performance of real time remote surgical operations 3 as demonstrated in egensburg, :ermany in @>>@. In addition to audio3visual data, the transfer of haptic (tactile) information has also been demonstrated in telemedicine.

2.5 Ed$cat&o%
esearch has been conducted on the use of telepresence to provide professional development to teachers. esearch has shown that one of the most effective forms of teacher professional development is coaching, or cognitive apprenticeship. The application of telepresence shows promise for ma%ing this approach to teacher professional development practical. The benefits of enabling schoolchildren to ta%e an active part in e#ploration have also been shown by the GA&1< and the <A&A Ames esearch 2enter programs. The ability of a pupil, student, or researcher to e#plore an otherwise inaccessible location is a very attractive proposition- 6or e#ample, locations where the passage of too many people is harming the immediate environment or the artifacts themselves, e.g. undersea e#ploration of coral reefs, ancient ,gyptian tombs, and more recent wor%s of art.

6.0 CONCLUSION
Telepresence is a matter of degree. arely will a Telepresence system provide such comprehensive and convincing stimuli that the user perceives no differences from actual presence. !ut the user may set aside such differences, depending on the application. Telepresence systems aimed at corporate customers are commerciali(ed by such companies as 0igital /ideo ,nterprises (0/,), !right2om, 2isco, Telaneti#, and 4olycom. 4rices range from tens to hundreds of thousand dollars. These systems include multiple microphones, spea%ers, high3definition monitors, cameras, and often dedicated networ%s and custom3made studios. They strive to be as transparent to users as possible by providing life3si(e videos, imperceptible transmission delays, and user3friendly interfaces.

5.0 RE<ERENCES 1. #. '. 4. 3. *Tele+%esence A++lications, htt+:--....tele+%esence.st%ath.ac.u/-a++lications.htm accessed on #01101#002. *Tele+%esence Communications, htt+:--....tele+%esence.st%ath.ac.u/-communications.htm accessed on #01101#002. *Tele+%esence Technolog), htt+:--....tele+%esence.st%ath.ac.u/-technolog).htm accessed on #01101#002. *Tele+%esence A++lications, htt+:--....tele+%esence.st%ath.ac.u/-technolog).htm accessed on #01101#002. *Tele+%esence, htt+:--en..i/i+edia.o%g-.i/i-Tele+%esence accessed on #01101#002.