Staff WFH could soon be virtually back – using high-tech avatars of themselves

STAFF working from home will soon be virtually back in the office — by using a robotic version of themselves.

Engineers have designed high-tech avatars which can nod, turn their heads 360 degrees and communicate with colleagues who are on-site.

Staff can control the bots via their phone or laptop while kicking back from wherever they choose.

Users can even adjust their droid to increase its height by six inches to get on eye level with co-workers.

Japanese electronics company Kyocera said its automatons would help remote workers stay connected with office-based colleagues, reduce stress, boost hybrid communication and even let them chat casually with workmates.

The Kyoto-based tech giant said: “Remote workers have difficulty participating in casual office conversations, which can lead them to feel overlooked by colleagues connecting with each other in a physical location.

“Likewise, on-site colleagues may feel isolated from remote workers who miss important social cues in conversation.

“Kyocera’s new physical avatar provides an in-office physical representation.”