This event explored how robotics and new collaboration tools can emulate being there in person, and how we can make better use of email and video conferencing without 'information overload'.

Speakers included Jean-Christophe Baillie, CEO of Gostai, a French company making telepresence robots and software; Richard Harper, researcher at Microsoft and author of ‘Texture: Human expression in the age of communications overload’; Ghislaine Boddington of body>data>space, a design group with a focus on telepresence and virtual/physical blended spaces and Nick Sheppard, Head of Collaboration at Cisco UK&I.

The event also featured a Gostai Jazz robot demonstrating some of the cutting-edge technology available in the area of telepresence.