How robots are helping guests attend weddings from kilometres away: ‘I had front-row seats’

[This 9Honey story from Australia describes the heartwarming use of telepresence robots to allow loved ones to “be together” at family weddings when COVID and other factors would otherwise make it impossible; see the original story for several more pictures. –Matthew]

[Image: Will Trott parks up for the wedding speeches. Credit: James Field Photography]

How robots are helping guests attend weddings from kilometres away: ‘I had front-row seats’

By Shelley Thomas
December ~3, 2021

For Sydneysider Will Trott, attending his little sister’s wedding at a working sheep and cattle station south of Adelaide transformed into a “highly emotive” out-of-body experience.

A telepresence robot, rented and couriered from Melbourne, attended in his place, providing a portal to wholeheartedly interact with family and friends — including cutting moves on the dance floor.

It was a welcome last resort after his application for a travel exemption, lodged several months earlier, was stalled.

“The fact I wasn’t there in person didn’t make it any less emotional… probably more emotional, if anything,” says Will, who remotely manoeuvred the telepresence robot at the ceremony from his Pyrmont apartment, 1400km away.

“I basically took the form of an iPad on a stick with a self-balancing, driveable base. I had front row seats for the wedding speeches, parked right in front of them, and had great chats with my Nana… bringing the screen down to her level.

“Later in the night, I drove onto the dance floor, and everyone made a circle for me. I panned the robot around really slowly, seeing all the different faces and everyone dancing and singing.”

It was Will’s first encounter with a telepresence robot, a “surreal experience” he stumbled upon while desperately exploring options to attend his sister’s wedding.

Proudly in the business of humanising robotics, Exaptec founder and CEO Nicci Rossouw stepped up as Will’s robot matchmaker.

“The biggest use of my telepresence robots during COVID-19 has been for weddings, helping people be with loved ones,” says Nicci, who rents and sells a variety of telepresence, social and educational robots from Melbourne’s outskirts. In February 2019, she won exclusive Australian distribution rights for temi, the world’s first personal robotic assistant, developed in Israel.

“These robots are enablers. They’re about enhancing people’s lives, and not just for weddings. For example, people with disabilities or in aged care can use the robots to move around independently and experience things they might never otherwise have done.”

COVID-19 has catapulted Nicci’s business (founded in 2015) at least 10 years forward.

So far, two of her temi robots have been deployed to Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane, enabling doctors to be at patients’ bedsides while maintaining strict COVID-19 infection control measures. Her robots can also be found teaching new skills to children with autism; acting as tour guides in warehouses; and generally providing a lifeline to anyone needing to connect with others, from remote workers to people with compromised immune systems.

After attending his sister’s wedding by robot proxy, Will is the first to applaud the use of immersive technology as a “COVID silver lining”.

With extended family dotted across Australia, he’s even toyed with the idea of buying a telepresence robot: “It made me think that if I had my own wedding sometime soon, I might just offer a telepresence robot as an alternative for people who can’t be there.”

The scenario rings true for Brisbane entrepreneur Benjamin Farkas. A former paramedic who launched TeleIn on the back of personal experience — unable to travel to his sister’s 2019 wedding on a far-flung Greek island.

“My sister, who lived in Singapore, picked a remote place for a fairy tale wedding that no-one could get to,” says Benjamin, who purchased a telepresence robot off eBay, fixed it up and packed it off to Singapore to hitch a ride to Greece in his sister’s luggage.

Today, TeleIn is the exclusive distributor of robots made by California-based Double Robotics in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia-Pacific (Singapore, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea).

Like Exaptec, Benjamin’s business spans sales and rentals (both private and corporate across a range of industries and needs), with plans afoot to open a 24/7 showroom for clients to remotely test-drive robots.

“The idea is to have a number of robots always stationed there so people can dial in anytime, drive around and see what the robots can do,” he says. Currently in discussions with a major Australian museum, showcasing the value proposition of Double3 robots, including safe navigation around glass plinths and priceless collections.

During COVID-19, Benjamin also experienced a boom in wedding bookings, prompting him to supersize his rental squad from two to seven Double3 robots.

As Australian border restrictions relax and states hit 80 per cent double vaccination rates, he’s noticed a second upsurge in enquiries.

“People want to have their weddings while they can because there’s not a lot of confidence the freedoms will last,” Benjamin says. “Interestingly, all our recent wedding enquiries are short notice. I’m talking less than two weeks from now.”

Among them are newlyweds James Hawtin and Kathryn Forth.

After a “whirlwind COVID-era romance”, the couple exchanged vows at an Adelaide Hills ceremony on 20 November, just eight days after booking a TeleIn robot to beam James’ brother, one of four best men, into their wedding from Melbourne.

“I was gutted my brother, Matty, couldn’t be there,” says James, who considered postponing the date after exhausting all options to get his brother across the border.

Serendipitously, a few weeks before the big day one of Kathryn’s friends attended a wedding where a telepresence robot was deployed, providing “an unexpected Plan B.”

“I wanted to surprise Jim, but I can’t keep a surprise from him, and he was trying so hard to figure out a way to involve Matty,” explains Kathryn.

“I’d never heard of anyone using a robot at a wedding until a girlfriend said it was an absolute hoot.”

For Kathryn, co-founder and creative director of Australian fashion label, Acler, the use of a telepresence robot also complemented her ‘dream, non-traditional’ wedding.

“The robot was very sleek, stylish and minimalistic,” she jokes.

“But the best thing was it had Matty’s face on it. Sure, it was a bit of a laugh at first, but turned into a really heartfelt and touching experience for him to be able to share in our day and experience all the little things that would have otherwise been impossible.”

These little moments meant the world to James, as Matty ‘popped up everywhere’ enjoying meaningful conversations and joining the fun on the dance floor.

“It’s funny, at one point we needed a break from dancing and moved outside the marquee,” James says.

“Just four guys — and a robot — standing there having a beer in a paddock next to some sheep!”

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