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"One can see the free software movement as a precusor for a "free hardware" or "free wetware" movement--one that will provide free libraries of designs for biological or nanotechnological products that replicators can be programmed to churn out."
- Charles Stross

Robot Probes (Arr-twos)  
  Remote controlled robots that wander through a facility, bringing pictures and information to a central location.  

Niven and Pournelle use small, remote-controlled robots to be the "eyes and ears" of Tony Rand, the chief engineer of a massive arcology, Todos Santos.

He had to follow the minutiae, because he didn't know what would turn out to be vital.

That led to his development of robot probes; small devices with cameras and sound equipment which could move freely through Todos Santos under Rand's direct control. If he sent out two or three of the small tele-operated devices (he called them Arr-twos after the small droid in Star Wars), Rand could effectively be in several places at once, see machinery and construction details in real time from both above and below, and generally explore without leaving his bedroom.

Technovelgy from Oath of Fealty, by Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle).
Published by Timescape in 1981
Additional resources -

The authors even provide us with some possible limits of the device, particularly during interactions with people:

Good as the Arr-twos were, with their full two-way communications and their TV screen to show Rand's face, he'd found it necessary to get out and talk to the technicians and carpenters and pipe fitters and maintenance people; talk to them himself, because most construction people didn't like talking to an Arr-two even with Rand's TV image.
This is becoming the preferred model for security guard robots (see links below).

Compare to remote telepresence robot from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD (1929) by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins) and the proxy robot from Hotel Cosmos (1938) by Raymond Z. Gallun.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Oath of Fealty
  More Ideas and Technology by Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle)
  Tech news articles related to Oath of Fealty
  Tech news articles related to works by Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle)

Robot Probes (Arr-twos)-related news articles:
  - Rotundus And Rover: Robotic And Fictional Guardians (Updated)
  - PEBBLES Robot - Teleconferencing For Kids At NextFest 2006
  - Reborg-Q May You Shop In Peace
  - HeadThere Giraffe Telepresence Robot
  - DIY Telepresence By Teleoperated Robot
  - 7 Day Old Baby Meets Telepresence Robot Dad
  - Tmsuk Telepresence Shopper Cell Phone-Controlled
  - Rotundus Groundbot Robotic Spherical Guardian Video
  - MeBot Robot Avatar Telepresence
  - Telepresence Robot Roundup With Anybot
  - iRobot AVA Telepresence Robot With iPad
  - Videochat Robot: DIY Telepresence Robot
  - Kuri Robot Roams Your Home, Taking Pictures
  - Double Robotics iPad-Based Telepresence Robot
  - Beam Yourself To Distant Places
  - Telepresence In The Office
  - Temi Robotic Telepresence Roommate
  - Ford Uses Obedient Robot Dogs To Update Facilities Maps

Articles related to Robotics
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
Is Optimus Autonomous Or Teleoperated?
Robot Masseuse Rubs People The Right Way
Optimus Robot Can Charge Itself

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