UK robotics company Cyberselves, which uses ‘telepresence technology,’ has won a spot in the finals of the global ANA Avatar XPRISE robotics competition.

The tech enables humans to ‘teleport’ into a robot and control it.

The human operator can see, hear, and feel through the robot, allowing them to perform tasks from a vast distance as if they were really there.

According to the robotics company, it is believed the technology could provide remote support in hazardous environments, for telemedicine, and space exploration.

The $10 million Avatar XPRIZE is a four-year global competition focused on the development of an avatar system that will deploy a human’s senses, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time.

Cyberselves is one of only two UK companies to have made it into the finals of the competition, which was open to entries from around the world.

In the semi-finals, which took place in Miami in September 2021, each avatar system was challenged to carry out three tasks: complete a children’s jigsaw puzzle of farmyard animals, grab and raise a wine glass in a toast with a human companion, and lift a vase to feel its texture.

The systems were judged on their ability to execute the tasks whilst conveying a sense of presence for the human operator and the person with whom the robot interacted.

“We are incredibly proud to have made it into the finals of the Avatar XPRIZE,” said Daniel Camilleri, co-founder and chief technology officer at Cyberselves. Our Teleport app makes the remote operation of robots both powerfully effective and functionally simple. With a smart phone, browser or VR headset, the user can take remote control of any robot in a way that is intuitive to the human body. The system has already been integrated with underwater ROVs, land-based UGVs and humanoid social robots.”

Camilleri added: “Sending signals through our cloud-based, low-latency communications platform, Animus, a movement made by a human operator in Europe could be carried out almost simultaneously by a robot in the United States. This seamless functionality is what makes the technology so promising for numerous real-world applications, from inspecting offshore wind farms to supporting disaster recovery.”

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