Telepresence video conferencing enables a feeling of real presence

Video conferencing has come a very long way since its original inception. Ever since the invention of the television it has been possible to make a connection to enable audio visual conferencing by connecting two closed-circuit television systems. But the difference between the first examples of remote communication involving a visual element, and the status of such communication today, is quite incredible. In fact, it reflects the incredible progress of science and technology as a whole over the past century. Now, though, it seems that conferencing has just taken an extra step forward: we have stepped out of a somewhat two dimensional world – whereby people can be connected as if via a phone line, but with a visual element as something of an extra – into a conferencing world that goes by the name of ‘telepresence’. Telepresence video conferencing is the next step in business communications. Why?

First of all, let us look back at that two dimensional world of audio visual conferencing that we knew so well before telepresence. Why is it describable as ‘two dimensional’? If you have ever used a web cam to talk with somebody, via Skype, for example, then you will know that not every individual web cam user has the capability of placing their web cam at a point that is close enough to their computer to appear to be looking into their web cam.

The upshot of this is that the feeling of talking to somebody ‘in person’ is utterly lost. It is impossible to properly simulate making eye contact, because you need to look away from your web cam to look at the eyes of the person you are speaking to. And this applies even in a one-to-one conversation. You can imagine, then, how difficult it must be to create a feeling of ‘really being there’ when it comes to holding a conference with any number of colleagues and associates attending.

telepresence video conferencing consists of a set of technologies that are designed to confront these problems. All of the technology available is used to create a sophisticated simulation of presence, such that it feels like you are actually in a room with associates who could in fact be half way around the globe. As such, telepresence represents the next step forward in audio visual conferencing. While once it seemed a miracle of technology that video conferencing was possible, the earlier technologies now look out-dated in the face of telepresence.

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