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From: almquist@brahms.udel.edu (Squish)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Telepresence
Message-ID: <1991Apr17.052444.17140@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 17 Apr 91 04:25:41 GMT
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I received a few responses from my last posting about biocybernetics 
SO, figured it was time to post another article from my collection.
This one is "Telepresence", Marvin Minsky - 1980.

Mr. Minsky points out that if one REALLY wants to get an impression
of what teleprence is and what it could be used for, one should
read Heinlein's book "Waldo", 1948.  This book is about a crippled
youth who invents numerous gadgets so that he may remotely interact
with the outside world - ie. telepresence.

>From discussing the book and various aspects of what telepresence is
and what is necessary, he slips into a discussion about, "Why did
telepresence stop evolving 20 years ago?"  Funding, repetition in
work (everyone working on robot hands and computer vision), and
lack of centeralization (whoes doing what - this is STILL needed).
Interesting note, DARPA actually allocated some funding to work on
a powered armored suit like the ones in Heinlein's "Starship
Troopers".  Now, that would've been neat to see!

According to the article, J.C. Bliss and J.G. Linvill at Stanford
created a device that would translate print into "feel" enabling
blind people to read.  This gadget fits on your fingertips and
has many miniature photocells that sense light and little vibrators
that allow the finger to sense remotely the fine shape of letters.
What ever happened to this work?  Has anyone seen it?  Is anyone
still working with/on it?  This perhaps would be a good solution
to the tactile problem?  In addition, Mr. Minsky talks about one
of his graduate students, Danny Hillis, who fabricated a thin,
skinlike material that can "feel" and transmit small tactile
surface features.  Again, does anyone have any further info?

The article ends recommending interested individuals to find
"Remotely Manned Systems", edited by Ewald Heer (Caltech, 1973),
and "Human Factors Applications in Teleoperator Design and
Operations", by E.G. Johnsen and W.R. Corliss (Wiley, 1971).

Are we reinventing the wheel again?  Has anyone been working with
any of the ideas or systems previously developed?  Is there a
centralized power or database of individuals (past and present)
and the work that they are doing?  Wasn't the INTERNET setup
to promote the inchange of ideas?  Am I talking to myself? (-:

- Mike Almquist (almquist@brahms.udel.edu)