By Todd Russell
No clickbait, iCub3 is a real experiment.
This may sound like science fiction, maybe even some scene from Ready Player One, but it’s not. But, before reading further, it’s not a robot available right now. Not a real commercial product. Not something at any price you can actually do … yet.
Robot iCub3 can attend events for a human host hundreds of kilometers away and broadcast visual and physical experience in VR
A humanoid robot can relay video and touch sensations to a person wearing haptic feedback gloves and a virtual reality (VR) headset hundreds of kilometres away, offering a way for people to attend events without travelling.
Robot avatar lets people see and feel things remotely through VR | New Scientist
So, this was a study — essentially a “can we do this” not “should we do this” — not some commercial product we can buy today. Imagine if we could send avatars to events in our place? Would you?
I want to go to events in person to meet and interact in person, physically, with others. This experiment sounds extremely anti-social for those that have the choice, ability and finances to travel.
Next week, in fact, we have this pinball and arcade show to attend: See you at the Northwest Pinball & Arcade 2025 Show June 6-8, 2025. Can I imagine sending or even wanting to send a robot in my place, so I can stay home and interact virtually instead?
No, I don’t want to do the meeting and interaction part with others in VR. The metaverse largely failed and this is a similar path.
That said, does this have any practical use? Yes, for those that can’t physically attend events for a variety of reasons. I see this positively for others that find it more difficult or impossible to physically attend events. This can bring people with disabilities together with others that have more mobility.
While it’s probably something I’d never want to own — and likely won’t have the option in my lifetime — I do see some benefit for others. Do you? What’s your take on this? Share in the comments.