New Hampshire based VGo Communications is changing what it means to work from home. Taking advantage of the growing coverage of high speed wifi networks and increased acceptance of telepresence communication (such as Skype), VGo has created a solution that allows the user to establish a physical presence in a distant location. From their website:
Using our special software application on a PC or Mac, an internet connected person located anywhere, instantly connects to a VGo in a distant facility – giving them the ability to not only interact with the people who are there but also to move around under their own control just like you would if you were there in person. Some people like to describe VGo as their personal “avatar”.
This is especially true for Lexie Kinder, a third grader from Alice Drive Elementary School in South Carolina. Lexie is living with a cardiac pulmonary illness which made it impossible for her to travel to her school. With VGo, she hasn’t missed a class. In fact, like something out of the future, she can even walk the halls. Check out VGo in action below:
The VGo is surprisingly affordable. Each robot costs about $5,000 which is about the same as it would cost to teach a student from home.
