Budgee

As a ‘busy bee’, when you are grocery shopping you would be constantly on your phone or answering calls while trying to push the cart and read the nutrition facts label on the products. How about a little robot that will make your grocery shopping a little bit more manageable?

             

         This adorable contraption is called Budgee, the robot that follows you around and carries your things.  Created by Five Elements Robotics, this robot has a mission, and that mission is to obediently follow you around while carrying your things to make your life a little bit lighter, in a sense.  This robot can carry up to 23kg which is perfectly fine for groceries as well as other uses. For example, you need to carry a huge stack of papers in the office; Budgee would be able to help you.  Budgee follows you around with a portable ultrasound device that can be kept in your pocket or clipped on your bag’s strap, it is relatively small therefore it is easy to carry it around.  It takes about 6 hours to charge it and can be use up to 4 to 6 hours, depending on your the usage.  Currently, the estimated price is 1,399 USD.

                Unfortunately, there is also a downside to Budgee; the reason is that it does not have an anti-theft or a locking mechanism. It is best to not place valuable belongings in Budgee such as purses, handbags, wallets and etc. But, there are plans to equip Budgee with locking mechanism which is still in the works. And, it is obvious that not every working class people are able to purchase this robot because robots like these does not come cheap.

                With a little saving up and plenty of contemplating whether this would be a good purchase, I would say it would be a good purchase. It may not be full of gadgets but it helps with little things that we humans are not capable of carrying 10 things at once. Unless, you are a juggler at a circus. Jokes aside, I would recommend this definitely.

Main website: 5elements Robotics

See Budgee in action here!

Reference: 

1) Budgee shows off his features. (2015). [video].

2) 5elementsrobotics, (2011). Home. [online] Available at: http://5elementsrobotics.com/ [Accessed 30 May 2015].

Double Telepresence Robot

This technology is for the work-class people who are not able to be there for the meeting or those who work at home and etc. It could be that you have an errand to run, for example you have to get your boss’s dry cleaning, but you have a meeting with him/her in 5 minutes, this is where Double Telepresence Robot can help you.

What is the Double Telepresent Robot?  To best describe it, it is like an iPad on a Segway. The Double Robotics invented this telepresence bot gives you a presence in the office without you being there. And, No it does not comes with an iPad in it so you have to get one for yourself. The current estimation price for this product is USD 2,499.95.

            You can imagine the possibilities with this robot, from being at an office party when you are sick at home to attending a meeting while you are in another country. This robot helps you to be there, at the same not being there.

Well there are also a few disadvantages to everything and so does this robot.  First, if you are a boss that has a huge ego and has created a ‘serious’ image for yourself, then this may not be the one for you. The reason why is because this technology looks ‘cute’ and it is hard for the people to take you seriously. Unless they respect you well enough? Second, sometimes when they are bumps on the carpet or sharp turns and such, the robot may not be able to surpass it and it may take time. So, you may need to call out for help so people can assist you.  Last, but not least, with bad connection the audio may not be clear or the video feed may not appear but mostly related to technical problems. For example you want to conduct a meeting but everyone is waiting for you to “appear” in terms of the video because of the bad connection.

            All these disadvantages require patience, creativity and mastery to use the full potential of the robot. For working class people this is a very useful product with few minor disadvantages.  I highly recommend using this product for work related purposes.

For more information go to: Double Robotics

Reference : Double Robotics (2015) Double: The Ultimate Tool for Telecommuting,Available at: http://www.doublerobotics.com/ (Accessed: 30th May 2015).

The Hive

This blog is dedicated to all the working bees out there who we believe need technologies to make daily lives easier not necessarily faster. People are always on the go, major parts of the world are always out and about, just like bees. You see, every worker bee is important to the hive, every hive is important to nature, nature is important to us humans, like oxygen. We just can't live without bees. Without these mother nature's little helpers working their hardest everyday, we won't exist for long. With that in mind, think of the working bees who clock in and out everyday daily to fulfill their jobs and tasks because it may seem like it is small and unimportant to some but what they are doing makes a whole lot of difference to their company or their "hive" as well as the society. Same goes to bees, they are small but they do a whole lot without us realizing it.