The coronavirus pandemic completely disrupted the global travel industry. While things are slowly opening up, the current situation of world affairs makes travel returning to its former glory seem a rather far-fetched idea. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to'be there' without actually being there? Like take a tour at the famous Singapore museum or attend an important press conference across the continent or participate in your best friend's wedding all from the comfort of your home? Well, that's the idea behind telepresence, a technology that has been making waves in the market for a while.

Double Robotics' newest robot has a mind of its own. The previous iterations of the Double 3 had been more like "FaceTime on wheels," co-founders Marc DeVidts and David Cann said in a recent phone call about the telepresence robot on self-balancing wheels. But starting Tuesday, the screen on the roving bot will come with better built-in camera options -- and it can get around with just a few clicks. Called "click-to-drive," the human controlling the bot from a computer back at home can control the robot with their face beaming in from a built-in screen. Earlier versions required an iPad to work with the wheel-based robot.