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| You Can’t Visit the Museum. But Your Robot Can. | You Can’t Visit the Museum. But Your Robot Can. |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| LONDON — On a recent weekday morning, a robot was investigating the art on display at the Hastings Contemporary art museum. | LONDON — On a recent weekday morning, a robot was investigating the art on display at the Hastings Contemporary art museum. |
| Guided by the museum’s director, Liz Gilmore, the machine — an iPad-sized screen mounted on a thin black pole, attached to Segway-like wheels — zoomed past works by the English painter Graham Sutherland before turning to a rainbow-colored sculpture by the Irish artist Anne Ryan. Then, moving a little too enthusiastically, it collided with the table on which the sculpture stood. | Guided by the museum’s director, Liz Gilmore, the machine — an iPad-sized screen mounted on a thin black pole, attached to Segway-like wheels — zoomed past works by the English painter Graham Sutherland before turning to a rainbow-colored sculpture by the Irish artist Anne Ryan. Then, moving a little too enthusiastically, it collided with the table on which the sculpture stood. |
| “No harm done,” Ms. Gilmore said brightly. “Just back up, swing left and try again.” | “No harm done,” Ms. Gilmore said brightly. “Just back up, swing left and try again.” |
| She was actually talking to this reporter, controlling the robot via a laptop from London, some 70 miles from the seaside town of Hastings, England. It isn’t often that one needs driving lessons in an art gallery, but these are strange times. | She was actually talking to this reporter, controlling the robot via a laptop from London, some 70 miles from the seaside town of Hastings, England. It isn’t often that one needs driving lessons in an art gallery, but these are strange times. |
| The coronavirus pandemic has forced museums and galleries worldwide to innovate as never before. Closed to prevent the spread of infection, many institutions have rushed out offerings such as virtual viewing rooms, podcasts and online art classes. Others have turned to social media to maintain their connection with the public (the Royal Academy’s “daily doodle” challenge has been a hit on Twitter after its surprise invitation “who can draw us the best ham” caught on). | The coronavirus pandemic has forced museums and galleries worldwide to innovate as never before. Closed to prevent the spread of infection, many institutions have rushed out offerings such as virtual viewing rooms, podcasts and online art classes. Others have turned to social media to maintain their connection with the public (the Royal Academy’s “daily doodle” challenge has been a hit on Twitter after its surprise invitation “who can draw us the best ham” caught on). |
| But Hastings Contemporary — which, like all similar spaces in Britain, has been closed since mid-March — has a different trick up its sleeve: Robot tours, using a mobile, Wi-Fi-enabled “telepresence” device that prowls the gallery, sending a video stream back to viewers who stay isolated at home. It appears to be the first time a British cultural organization has attempted a remote art-viewing experience like this. | But Hastings Contemporary — which, like all similar spaces in Britain, has been closed since mid-March — has a different trick up its sleeve: Robot tours, using a mobile, Wi-Fi-enabled “telepresence” device that prowls the gallery, sending a video stream back to viewers who stay isolated at home. It appears to be the first time a British cultural organization has attempted a remote art-viewing experience like this. |
| Ms. Gilmore explained via the robot’s video interface that the idea had come via one of her trustees, the artist Esther Fox. Telepresence robots are increasingly used in the medical and care industries, or for interactive videoconferencing, “and we thought, well, if we have to shut down the gallery, maybe here’s a solution,” Ms. Gilmore said. | Ms. Gilmore explained via the robot’s video interface that the idea had come via one of her trustees, the artist Esther Fox. Telepresence robots are increasingly used in the medical and care industries, or for interactive videoconferencing, “and we thought, well, if we have to shut down the gallery, maybe here’s a solution,” Ms. Gilmore said. |
| Prof. Praminda Caleb-Solly of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory agreed to loan one of their devices, a $4,000 model manufactured by the Californian firm Double Robotics. It arrived just before Britain went into lockdown. | Prof. Praminda Caleb-Solly of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory agreed to loan one of their devices, a $4,000 model manufactured by the Californian firm Double Robotics. It arrived just before Britain went into lockdown. |
| “Art is a shared experience,” said Ms Gilmore. “A lot of people are missing it right now.” | “Art is a shared experience,” said Ms Gilmore. “A lot of people are missing it right now.” |
| Operating the robot is simple: Using a web browser linking the robot’s camera and your own, you pilot it with the arrow keys on your keyboard. Stairs are out, but with human assistance the machine could use the elevator and seemed disconcertingly nimble. Cruising around a deserted gallery, silent apart from the trundling wheels, was initially surreal, but within a few minutes felt normal. With practice, it was possible to zoom in close enough to read a wall text. | Operating the robot is simple: Using a web browser linking the robot’s camera and your own, you pilot it with the arrow keys on your keyboard. Stairs are out, but with human assistance the machine could use the elevator and seemed disconcertingly nimble. Cruising around a deserted gallery, silent apart from the trundling wheels, was initially surreal, but within a few minutes felt normal. With practice, it was possible to zoom in close enough to read a wall text. |
| “Catalogs and online galleries are great,” Ms. Gilmore said, “but they don’t allow you a sense of the spacing of an exhibition, how it’s paced.” | “Catalogs and online galleries are great,” Ms. Gilmore said, “but they don’t allow you a sense of the spacing of an exhibition, how it’s paced.” |
| Starting this week, Hastings Contemporary is trying various types of virtual visits using the robot, all for free, including tours with an in-person guide, a remote curator and prerecorded videos. The hope is that people from overseas will check it out, extending the gallery’s reach far beyond Britain. | Starting this week, Hastings Contemporary is trying various types of virtual visits using the robot, all for free, including tours with an in-person guide, a remote curator and prerecorded videos. The hope is that people from overseas will check it out, extending the gallery’s reach far beyond Britain. |
| “Technology like this has the ability to connect us, even in normal times,” Professor Caleb-Solly said in a Skype interview. “Think of how you could use this at museums like the Louvre, if you couldn’t afford to travel.” | “Technology like this has the ability to connect us, even in normal times,” Professor Caleb-Solly said in a Skype interview. “Think of how you could use this at museums like the Louvre, if you couldn’t afford to travel.” |
| Ms. Gilmore said: “The main problem we have is how we’re going to schedule all the requests we’ve had.” | Ms. Gilmore said: “The main problem we have is how we’re going to schedule all the requests we’ve had.” |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | Updated June 22, 2020 |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Behind the novelty of using gee-whiz technology like this to view art lies the threat coronavirus poses to many galleries and museums, especially smaller ones. Hastings Contemporary, a tiny nonprofit space in a deprived town, receives around 130,000 pounds (about $160,000) annually in state subsidy, and gets the other 80 percent of its income from other sources: Ticket sales, membership fees, venue hire, fund-raising. | |
| Ms. Gilmore has already put nine of her 13 staff on furlough, and many volunteer docents are self-isolating (a number are retirees, especially vulnerable to the virus). Although Arts Council England, the country’s main funding body, has promised emergency cash for many organizations, the hole deepens every day. Some British arts institutions have announced that they will remain shuttered until the end of June at least. | Ms. Gilmore has already put nine of her 13 staff on furlough, and many volunteer docents are self-isolating (a number are retirees, especially vulnerable to the virus). Although Arts Council England, the country’s main funding body, has promised emergency cash for many organizations, the hole deepens every day. Some British arts institutions have announced that they will remain shuttered until the end of June at least. |
| “It’s a medical emergency, of course that comes before everything, but closing our doors was the last thing we wanted to do,” Ms. Gilmore said. | “It’s a medical emergency, of course that comes before everything, but closing our doors was the last thing we wanted to do,” Ms. Gilmore said. |
| In the meantime, she and her skeletal team are busy keeping the building and its displays safe, and planning for the day when reopening finally arrives. | In the meantime, she and her skeletal team are busy keeping the building and its displays safe, and planning for the day when reopening finally arrives. |
| As the robot cruised toward the gallery’s foyer, a technician was installing the gallery’s next show. It features new work by the artist Quentin Blake, best known for his madcap illustrations of children’s books. The current plan is to have a virtual opening in early May, with the robot playing a starring role. | As the robot cruised toward the gallery’s foyer, a technician was installing the gallery’s next show. It features new work by the artist Quentin Blake, best known for his madcap illustrations of children’s books. The current plan is to have a virtual opening in early May, with the robot playing a starring role. |
| The show’s title is “We Live in Worrying Times,” Ms. Gilmore noted. | The show’s title is “We Live in Worrying Times,” Ms. Gilmore noted. |
| “Right now,” she said, “that feels fairly appropriate.” | “Right now,” she said, “that feels fairly appropriate.” |