Beam is a remote computing system allowing people to participate in events through a movable computer system controlled by a human in another location.
This video from the developer, Suitable Technologies, explains how it works.
Beam allows you to experience sights and sounds with all the mobility of your peers in that location. Beam makes sense for business meetings and to augment the presence of remote workers on your team. So basically, it's like you, on a Segway, rolling around, listening and talking, in another part of the world.
This year I saw a few Beams rolling around the halls of SXSW. The drivers of the SXSW Beams were people, at home, who had disabilities. Since March, they've expanded the program to make eight art, space, computer and human interest museums accessible to people with disabilities around the world.
Bravo to these eight museums for using Beam to opening up the world to a new audience. I love technology applications that solve real world problems like this (that's what designing for the fringe is all about).
Learn more about Beam and test-drive one of their machines.
Discussing Designing for the Fringe on the 3D LILA Podcast.