Technology
PUBLISHED
President Barack Obama was amongst the welcoming party for the White House’s first telerobotic visitor, Alice Wong, when she piloted the robot to meet the Commander in Chief this month.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.As founder and project coordinator of the Disability Visibility Project, Wong was invited to the White House to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which the President spoke about later that day.
The Disability Visibility Project is an organization that aims to support and give a platform to the varied voices of people in the disability community.
My day is complete. Got a chance to say hello to both @POTUS @BarackObama & @VP @JoeBiden while celebrating #ADA25 pic.twitter.com/vXc9MlIaoZ
— alice wong (@SFdirewolf) July 20, 2015
Wong’s robot was the BeamPro from Suitable Technologies, which has user functionality for people with an array of disabilities. Users can control the bot’s movements from their computer, wherever they may be, and project their face onto the video monitor to interact with people.
This was a momentous event as, according to the Disability Visibility Project, Wong was the first telerobotic visitor to the White House. Many other visitors have since congratulated her on this landmark experience.
President Obama talks w Alice Wong via robot before ADA reception today. pic.twitter.com/W7BMEwWX9B
— petesouza (@petesouza) July 21, 2015
@petesouza Thank you for taking this great photo!! I am half-robot half-human, 100% proud disabled American! #ADA25 #WHADA25
— alice wong (@SFdirewolf) July 21, 2015
[H/T: Popular Science]
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