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June/July 2019 67
Earlier this year at the
world’s biggest technology
show—the CES in Las Vegas—
OhmniLabs from Silicon
Valley made its presence
known, both in person and
robotically.
The company, headed by
cofounders CEO Vu Thuc and
CTO Jared Go, unveiled the
sharp-eyed Ohmni Supercam,
an updated version of its
signature Ohmni telepresence
robot. This latest creation
features an ultra-high
resolution camera that lets
users zoom in to read content
on printed documents and
on white boards, normally
difficult to see during typical
MILPITAS
• The industry’s high growth rate is due to an increased need
for organizational efficiency, the global population boom of
elderly people and rapid technological advancements in artificial
intelligence and robotics.
video calls.
The technology for
telepresence robots has
been around for decades,
but especially during the
past 10 years or so, more
and more scientists and
engineers have begun
developing the potential of
these rolling avatar units.
The Ohmni Supercam is
one good example of how
local companies have begun
pinpointing some common
shortcomings of telepresence
robots and coming up with
viable solutions, making the
units more functional and
desirable for consumers.
These efforts, along with
today’s greater needs, have
led to a robust and growing
international market for the
telepresence robot.
According to BIS
Research, a Fremont market
intelligence, research and
advisory company that
focuses on emerging trends
in technology:
• The demand for telepresence robots is especially evident
in the areas of health care, education, enterprise, personal
use and manufacturing.
• The global telepresence robotmarket generated
$67.4 million in 2018 and is estimated to grow by 26.5
percent (CAGR) through 2023.
$67.4
million
ROBOTS
ON A ROLL
PALO ALTO
PETALUMA
SANTA CLARA
BURLINGAME
• Of 15 robotics companies
identified as key players in
the global telepresence robot
market, five are located
in Northern California:
OhmniLabs and Anybots,
Inc. (Santa Clara); Double
Robotics (Burlingame);
Suitable Technologies (Palo
Alto); Telepresence Robotics
Corp. (Milpitas) and Xandex
(Petaluma). Other major
industry influencers are
headquartered throughout
the U.S., China,
France and Russia.
• A need for reliable and
secured video telecommunication
solutions laid
the foundation for the
burgeoning number of
telepresence robots.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF OHMNILABS; OPPOSITE: CHRIS SCHMAUCH, GROOMING BY ROSE HILL