SFU’s new Telepresence Robot Instructor Program brings remote teaching talent to Surrey campus

SFU is responding to the needs of the burgeoning youth population south of the Fraser and the lack of university programs to address BC’s talent shortage by creating more course offerings using remote instructors interfaced with on-campus robots.

SFU is addressing this demand by testing new technology at the Surrey campus.

“With the Telepresence Robot, it’s a bit different than Skype,” says Carman Neustaedter, director of the School of Interactive Arts and Technology. “Now all of a sudden you have mobility which really affords you a feeling of presence and you can interact with people in a physical space better. People who play lots of video games are actually really good at driving a Telepresence Robot.”

SFU will roll out this new program at all campuses this fall, or not, this is after all SFU's seventh annual April Fool's Day spoof.