TRinE Story: Stuck in an Elevator
One disadvantage of visiting a place with a telepresence robot is that you have no “hands” and therefore no direct interaction with the environment is possible. Normally, someone should always be there to support you. If this is not the case, it is quite possible that you get into strange situations – such as an involuntary longer stay in an elevator. Read a first-hand experience in this TRinE Story.
“Imagine living in Paris and being stuck in an elevator in Iceland! 🙂 It happened when I was leaving a classroom at the end of a school day, my class was on the second floor, so I needed the elevator for the first floor. The student that helped me that morning had to leave early so I asked another student to help me with the buttons, they pushed the first floor for me and then left me and walked the stairs themselves and forgot about me. The Wi-Fi in the elevator is not that good so I “froze” and could not drive the robot out of the elevator by myself and after the door closed, I could not press the button to open it again. I had to phone the Center of teaching and learning to get someone to save me, I felt so helpless but at the same time I could move around in Paris – it was very strange! And I imagine that this was the funniest call that the helpdesk got that day, “Sorry I have no hands since I am a robot and stuck in the elevator, please save me!””
Photo Credits: University of Akureyri
Share your story!
Do you also have experience with telepresence robots in education? Contact us and share your story! We are happy to publish it as a guest article on our website.