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ArchiveCase2012–2019, later unknown

Beam: the telepresence robot that sent a $16,000 body to the office

Beam was a remote presence robot that Suitable Technologies launched in 2012. In 2019 Denmark’s Blue Ocean Robotics acquired the assets and rights to Beam, and its successor line is GoBe Robots.

Test-Driving Beam, The Telepresence Robot | Forbes · Forbes Clips (YouTube)
MakerSuitable Technologies, a spinoff from Willow Garage. Co-founder Scott Hassan
LaunchUnveiled with pre-orders in September 2012, shipping planned for November. $16,000, plus $950 for the charging dock
LineBeam, BeamPro and BeamPro 2 (announced 2018). Beam+ for consumers (2014 article)
SizeOriginal model about 62 inches (157 cm) tall, 95 pounds (about 43 kg), 17-inch screen
SettingCorporate offices, hospitals, universities
UnitsA 2019 report said one customer signed for 500 over two years. We could not confirm total sales
NowBlue Ocean Robotics acquired the assets and rights in August 2019. The line is moving to GoBe Robots, and a support partner handles old Beams
Ended byThe maker handed the Beam assets to Blue Ocean Robotics. We found no stated reason for the sale.
Acquired by Blue Ocean Robotics; moving to GoBe Robots; old units supported by a partner

Timeline

  1. 2012.09Unveiled, preorders$16,000
  2. 2018.01BeamPro 2 announced
  3. 2019.08Blue Ocean buysMoves to GoBe

From a Willow Garage side project to a $16,000 product

Beam began as an internal project at Willow Garage, and Suitable Technologies spun it out in 2012. A wheeled body carries a screen that shows the remote user’s face at life size. Pre-orders opened with the unveiling in September 2012 at $16,000, with the charging dock costing another $950. It stood about 62 inches tall and ran up to eight hours on its battery. The system came as three parts: the robot, software for Windows and Mac, and a dock. Spectrum expected early adopters among businesses with remote engineers or knowledge workers.

BeamPro 2 was still “coming soon” a year and a half on

In January 2018 Suitable announced BeamPro 2. It has a 24-inch display that adjusts 10 inches in height, two 12-megapixel cameras and six wheels. Several large customers had asked for a display that could be raised and lowered for better eye contact. Pricing was to follow in a few months. In August 2019 IEEE Spectrum wrote that the company’s site still listed BeamPro 2 as “coming soon.” That same month Denmark’s Blue Ocean Robotics acquired the assets and rights associated with Beam. It did not buy Suitable Technologies itself. The terms were not disclosed and U.S. regulatory approval was required. A report from the same time said one customer had signed a contract to buy 500 over two years.

A body that worked in offices, hospitals and classrooms

In 2012 co-founder Scott Hassan said: “We learned in our research that it’s a lot harder than you think to make it really work.” Examples released at the acquisition included Microsoft Research using Beam to link dispersed engineering teams, VMware letting employees work from home two to three days a week, and Michigan State University giving virtual students a presence on campus. These come from the announcement itself. Blue Ocean’s chief technology officer said the technology is a big seller in healthcare. A lab at ASU used its Beam for remote check-ins and meetings, and a student attended class with it before Zoom was widespread.

The company changed hands and support continued

Beam is transitioning to GoBe Robots, and owners of older Beams can get help through a support partner. The IEEE Spectrum ROBOTS guide lists Beam as discontinued. Unlike Jibo, which lost its functions when its company closed, Beam had a successor company that kept a support channel open for older robots. Beam was not a robot that talked on its own. It was a body that the user drove through software.

Where does a video call stop being enough, and a robot’s body become necessary?

What we haven’t confirmed

  • Total units sold (apart from the report of a 500-unit contract)
  • When Beam sales stopped, and what GoBe Robots sells today
  • Whether BeamPro 2 ever shipped
  • The current state of Suitable Technologies itself (an ASU lab page says GoBe Robots acquired the company, while 2019 reports say only the assets and rights were acquired)

Sources

  1. IEEE Spectrum, “Suitable Technologies Introduces Beam Remote Presence System,” 26 September 2012
  2. MIT Technology Review, “Beam Yourself to Work in a Remote-Controlled Body,” 25 September 2012
  3. RFID Journal, “Beam Me Up: The Internet of Things Meets the Internet of People,” 4 November 2014
  4. IEEE Spectrum, “Suitable Tech Introduces BeamPro 2 Telepresence Platform,” 9 January 2018
  5. IEEE Spectrum, “Blue Ocean Robotics Acquires Beam Telepresence Robot From Suitable Technologies,” 27 August 2019
  6. The Robot Report, “Blue Ocean acquires Beam telepresence robot from Suitable Technologies,” 27 August 2019
  7. TechCrunch, “Beam, the remote-controlled telepresence robot, gets acquired by Denmark’s Blue Ocean Robotics,” 26 August 2019
  8. Design World, “Blue Ocean acquires Beam telepresence robot from Suitable Technologies,” 27 August 2019
  9. GoBe Robots (Blue Ocean Robotics), “Looking for Beam support and login?” (company material)
  10. ASU Ignited Labs, “Beam telepresence robot,” last updated 19 April 2023 (user institution)
  11. IEEE Spectrum ROBOTS guide, “Beam” (secondary source)