Polly: Telepresence from a Guide’s Shoulder

Polly is an inexpensive, portable telepresence device based on the metaphor of a parrot riding a guide’s shoulder and acting as proxy for remote participants. Although remote users may be anyone with a desire for ‘tele-visits’, we focus on limited mobility users. We present a series of prototypes and field tests that informed design iterations. Our current implementations utilize a smartphone on a stabilized, remotely controlled gimbal that can be hand held, placed on perches or carried by wearable frame. We describe findings from trials at campus, museum and faire tours with remote users, including quadriplegics. We found guides were more comfortable using Polly than a phone and that Polly was accepted by other people. Remote participants appreciated stabilized video and having control of the camera. One challenge is negotiation of movement and view control. Our tests suggest Polly is an effective alternative to telepresence robots, phones or fixed cameras.