ZDNET explored the best telepresence hardware to go beyond video conferencing and make remote work truly collaborative.

How can remote workers make their presence known in their organisation? How can enterprises overcome the limitations of video conferencing and enable a level of communication and collaboration that approaches on-site interaction?

Telepresence robots have been on the scene for the better part of a decade, though as global upheavals reshape work and reorient attitudes toward remote participation, the technology may finally be primed to break out of its niche user base and go mainstream. The timing is fortuitous: The market is now mature enough that consumers have choices when it comes to feature set and price point. As companies downsize physical locations and revamp their policies toward distributed workforces, telepresence offers both technological benefits and collaboration advantages that will appeal to some employers and workers alike.

The current telepresence lineup reflects the range of use cases and intended end-users out there, including a handful of models designed for specific fields and workflows, as well as others that fit organisations of any size. They were chosen based on a wide survey of this growing product category and by speaking with company representatives and end-users about their experience.

These are our picks for the best telepresence robots out there right now. 

Ohmni Robot by OhmniLabs

Best telepresence robot on a budget

Sensors: 4K HD Wide angle camera; far field mic and speakers

Battery: 5+ hrs call-time 

Size: 142 cm tall; weighs 12 kg

Features: Auto-docking; ultra-responsive tilting neck

In the battle for low-cost, truly robotic telepresence, OhmniLabs has been giving rival Double a major run for its money. 

The Ohmni Telepresence Robot weighs just 12 kgs and folds up, meaning you can take it anywhere, but still manages all the functionality you need in the best telepresence robot. It features wide-angle, low-latency streaming at HD+ resolution and real-time full-resolution zoom to read whiteboards or see fine details at full UHD 4K detail.

A secondary dedicated wide-angle navigation camera lets you see around the base of Ohmni Telepresence Robot while you're driving, which you can do remotely from just about any standard device. The unit features a bright 25cm screen and integrated Jabra speakerphone for great audio. It doesn't have automatic rising and lowering like Double, but the robot can move its head side to side for natural interactions.

OhmniLabs is also thoughtful about who might use the device, which has dual-band Wi-Fi radio with full 2.4GHz + 5GHz support and optimised background scanning and roaming for large spaces. Full 802.1x support means it should be simple to run on business or school networks.

Pros:

• Cost

• Size

• Neck articulation

Cons:

• Doesn't automatically adjust height

This article was originally written by ZDNET. Source article: https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-telepresence-robot/

About Robots4Good

A leading provider of robots as a service, Robots4Good is the exclusive supplier of OhmniLabs robots and services in Australia and New Zealand for business, manufacturing, schools, hospitals, disability and aged care settings