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beampro_tutorial

BeamPro Telepresence Robot

Author: Dylan Wallace Email: wallad3@unlv.nevada.edu
Date: Last modified on 12/21/16
Keywords: BeamPro, Telepresence, Robot, Setup


The BeamPro is a high-class telepresence robot, intended for use in commercial and production environments. The BeamPro utilizes a WiFi connection to allow a user to control the BeamPro remotely, casting their audio and video to the BeamPro's peripherals.

This tutorial covers how to setup the BeamPro, and how to use the BeamPro remotely.

Overview

The BeamPro has many features that make it work well in commercial and production environments. These include 2 Dual-band WiFi radios, a maximum speed of 2 mph, and two cameras for optimal control.

beamprobrochure.jpg

Setup

Here we will cover how to setup your BeamPro and the Beam App. If at any time you run into issues, please refer to the troubleshooting section for more information on how to fix these issues.

Robot

First, you will want to power-on your BeamPro robot. To do this, simply press the green button on the back of the BeamPro, on the base of the robot. Once your BeamPro is powered on, you should see a screen that looks similar to this:

beamprostartscreen.jpg

WiFi

Once you have the robot powered on, you will need to setup the WiFi for the user to communicate with the robot. To do this, first open the hatch on the back of the robot, and insert a USB keyboard into the USB port on the back of the BeamPro. you should see a setup screen like the one below:

beamprosetupscreen.jpg

Select the “WiFi Setup” menu, and then a screen similar to this one should appear:

beamprowifisetupscreen.jpg

Select the WiFi network that you would like to connect to, and enter the password. If the network is configured correctly, a green check-mark should appear beside the network.

Once you are done, remove the USB keyboard from the back of the BeamPro and replace the hatch onto the back of the robot.

Beam App

In order to control the BeamPro remotely, we will need to use the BeamPro app, which is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Google Chrome. There are also apps for iOS and Android, however we will not cover them here. There setup is similar to the desktop applications. You can download the correct version of the software for your system here.

While downloading the software, you should make an account to interface with the Beam App. Follow this link to create an account and request access to the BeamPro. Alternatively, you can visit the link that is provided on the Start Screen of your BeamPro in order to register it for use. When requesting access, write about your uses of the BeamPro in the comments section in order to quickly get access.

Once you have created an account and were granted access, you can then go onto using the Beam App. Open the app after it has finished installing, and you should see a screen similar to the one below:

beamappstartscreen.jpg

Go through the setup for your microphone and camera settings, adjusting them to your desired values. Once you have completed this, you should land onto a login page that looks similar to the one below:

beamapploginscreen.jpg

Here you will need to login with the credentials that you used to make your account. If your account has been verified and setup, then the login should go smoothly. Once logged-in, you should be directed to a screen that looks similar to the one below:

beamappmainscreen.jpg

This screen is where you can choose which Beam you would like to use. For our purposes, we only have one. In order to use the BeamPro, simply press the “Beam In” button, and you will be connected to your BeamPro. Once you are connected, you are ready to start controlling your BeamPro!

beamproapp.jpg

Control

Below is a video tutorial on how to use the Beam App to control your BeamPro.


Troubleshooting

When setting up the BeamPro, you may run into some hardware and software issues. This section should serve as a guide for how to fix these potential problems.

BeamPro Display

beamproboard.jpg

This is a hardware problem that may occur with the BeamPro, and could have multiple causes. The first thing you will want to ensure that the power connector for the top portion, circled in Pink, is connected properly. Once you have ensured this, you will want to Reset the board using the button circled in Green, and then Boot using the button circled in Blue. If at anytime the main power button on the back stops working, you can use the On/Off button circled in Red to turn the robot on and off.

WiFi Connection

When setting up your BeamPro, you may run into difficulty with the WiFi connection. In order to fix this, ensure that you have a suitable network, as described below:

beamprowifirequirements.jpg

Ensure that your network fulfills all of these requirements, and that you are entering the correct password for your network. If you run into further problems, please contact your Network Administrator.

Beam App

When trying to control the BeamPro, it is possible to have difficulty setting up and using the Beam App.

First, make sure that you have properly registered your account, and have gained access to your BeamPro.

Once you have confirmed this, ensure that you have the latest version of the Beam software. If you are using the Google Chrome app, the connection may be unstable, so this is not recommended. If you are using the Beam App on a mobile device, make sure that you are connected to WiFi, as even LTE speeds are not high enough for proper response time with the BeamPro.

Once you have confirmed all of these, your Beam App should be running properly.

beampro_tutorial.txt · Last modified: 2016/12/22 17:46 by dwallace