Robot gives glimpse into future of telecommuting

A federal government think-tank in downtown Ottawa is road-testing a special robot that allows employees to show up for work,even when they're far from the office.

The robot, which resembles an iPadperched atop a light Segway, can be operated remotely, allowing employees to attend meetings, check in with colleagues and perform other tasks around the office.

"It's a lot of independence that I'm gaining with the robot, compared to traditional teleworking technology," Pierre-Olivier DesMarchais of Policy Horizons Canada, or Horizons, told CBC's Ottawa Morning.

The technology is made by California-based Double Robotics, andHorizons has been testing it for about three years.

Horizons looks into emerging policy issues for the federal government,including how technology can impact the future of work.

DesMarchaishad already been working remotely from Montreal when Horizons decided to test out the robot. He said it immediately boosted his independence when it came to such office chores as capturing meeting notes.

"Instead of asking my colleagues to take a picture with their smart phoneand sending it to me by email, I can do it by myself."

The future of work

The robot's microphoneoffers much sharper soundthan a normal teleconference call, DesMarchaissaid although the sensitive equipment can have its drawbacks, too.

"I tend to hear everybody in the room talking at the same time."

There are also complications when it comes to opening doors, a task with which he still has to rely on colleagues forhelp.

Despite the shortcomings,DesMarchaissaid his colleagues have warmed to the robot and always greet itwith a smile, sometimes even posing for selfies.

"We work a lot on the future of work, at Horizons,trying to see what the future of work could mean," he said."The robot is part of this objective."