Beam Me Up Avatars

The Cadillac of remote telepresence devices is the Beam Pro by Suitable Technologies of California, and they hosted a fun appearance by Brash at the 2014 Dreamforce exhibit hall.

Avatar on BeamGary operated the Beam from his office in Nevada and appeared on the trade show floor in California, able to move around, visit booths and say hello to exhibitors and attendees.

After a little training to become a Beam Pilot, Gary took the next step of adding his avatar technology to replace the typical Beam video webcam display with a live stream from his animation system.

Beam and AvatarsUsing two computers with the live animation system connected to his desktop system via a video capture card and a piece of video switching software, he now brings any character to life on the Beam display. The Beam software allows him to navigate the Beam, as well as to see and hear people around him.

The Beam system with an avatar on the display is available for rent for trade shows and special events through Gary Jesch and CHOPS, and includes a brand ambassador to assist people with having the best possible avatar experience in the booth.

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY!

At Dreamforce, Gary and Dana performed as Digital Dan and VirtuaLibby, and presented two characters on the Beam, which picked up a lot more attention. One of the exhibitors there made sure they were interviewed on the event’s red carpet.

Digital Dan and Julia

At the Monterey Convention Center, Beam’s remote presence for events was represented by a visit from Digital Dan, who was there driving his Beam in the lobby, meeting guests and networking. One young lady, Julia – a model working in a booth in the exhibit hall, was captivated and spent more than half an hour visiting with Dan. Or maybe she was just a little bored by all the other exhibits that didn’t have avatars. This image was a screen capture taken by Gary, of the Beam’s control screen. The Beam has two cameras so the pilot can avoid running over people’s feet.