engineering

TiLR

TiLR is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand TiLR rather than just read about it. In short: TiLR is the world's first enterprise-grade telepresence robot developed by RoboDynamics Corporation. The Telepresence internet-connected Low cost Robot (TiLR) enables a user to instantly transport to a remote location whereby the robot would embody the user in the remote location.

Key takeaways

TiLR belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect TiLR to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of TiLR from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

TiLR is the world's first enterprise-grade telepresence robot developed by RoboDynamics Corporation. The Telepresence internet-connected Low cost Robot (TiLR) enables a user to instantly transport to a remote location whereby the robot would embody the user in the remote location. The advantage of robotic telepresence is reduced travel and downtime as well as increase throughput and collaboration.

Description TiLR is essentially a video conferencing system on wheels. The user is able to commandeer the robot by remote control, driving the robot and controlling the pan/tilt/zoom function of the robot's camera. As such TiLR provides a means for frictionless ad hoc face-to-face conversations as well as remote audio and visual monitoring.

Operations

There are two components to the TiLR telepresence system. The robot TiLR is stationed at the remote site. The second component is the TiLR Command Center (TCC) software that installs on any PC with a webcam and broadband connection. The user simply launches the TiLR Command Center and logs into TiLR. Once logged in, there is bi-directional video/audio between the robot and the TCC. The user is then able to commandeer the robot from remote, take snapshots, and even record the session for later viewing. TiLR Command Center is currently only supported on Windows XP/Vista. The next incarnation of the TiLR Command Center will be based on Flash technology where users will be able to log into TiLR and commandeer the robot from the World Wide Web.

Development TiLR was introduced in late 2007 by RoboDynamics following the MILO telepresence platform which was introduced in 2004. This makes TiLR a 14th generation telepresence robot developed by RoboDynamics. In August 2008 RoboDynamics kicked off their Beta Program by placing robots into various organizations in exchange for feedback. The very first program participant was the Google Lunar X Prize team of the X Prize Foundation. RoboDynamics planned to continue the TiLR Beta Program until the end of 2008.

References

External links RoboDynamics Corporation website TiLR Beta Program website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with TiLR

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what TiLR claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to TiLR before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about TiLR ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of TiLR

In research: TiLR appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses TiLR in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: TiLR is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Robots of the United States, Rolling robots, Telepresence robots, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for TiLR outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study TiLR in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what TiLR means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain TiLR out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is TiLR in simple terms?

Why does TiLR matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study TiLR?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on TiLR.