Enabling people to experience the world from a distance.
Travel can open the door to new places and experiences, but cost, flight disruptions, severe weather, health concerns, and political unrest can make a trip difficult or out of reach. TRAVEL-EZ.com is developing a telepresence platform that would let people explore destinations, venues, and events remotely in real time—and conduct “pre-visits” that help them make more informed plans for future travel.
Founder and CEO Herbert C. Pearson created TRAVEL-EZ.com through Cre8 Ideaz, LLC, the company he established to develop, protect, and bring original ideas to market. Pearson first saw the potential of telepresence technology at a 2013 conference, where a remotely controlled robot demonstrated how someone could experience a location from afar. He spent the next several years refining the concept before launching Cre8 Ideaz in 2018.
At the center of the platform is Pearson’s patented telepresence system, which includes 38 claims and connects travelers using a computer, tablet, or phone with a range of live, remote “Methods of Travel.” These may include a person carrying a tablet—what Pearson calls a Human Robot™—as well as drone pilots, GoPro operators, dash-camera drivers, stationary cameras, and telepresence robots. Unlike a prerecorded or static virtual tour, the concept is designed to let users see what is happening in real time, interact with people at the destination, ask questions, and influence where the experience goes next.
For travelers, that could mean remotely previewing a hotel, restaurant, attraction, neighborhood, or itinerary before booking a trip—or taking part in an experience when physical travel is not practical. The platform is also designed to support shared experiences through features such as Ride-Along, which would allow multiple users to connect through the same remote operator, and Multi-View, which would bring several locations or device feeds onto one screen. For travel businesses, TRAVEL-EZ.com could create a new way to showcase destinations and convert remote exploration into future visits.
Pearson brings a wide-ranging background to the venture, including 25 years of federal service, 30 years of business experience, and decades of work across information technology, photography, film, video, and television production. Earlier in his career, he managed television production and engineering operations at Georgetown University Medical Center, owned multimedia businesses, and invented the patented CardKeepR office product. He also created the International Symbol for Deafness while working at Gallaudet University, an accessibility symbol that was later approved by national and international Deaf organizations and is now used in public venues around the world.
Now in the pre-seed stage, TRAVEL-EZ.com is working toward launch and seeking investment to complete and scale the platform. “We want to enable people to experience the world from a distance,” Pearson said. Through Travel Tech’s Start-Up Membership Program, he hopes to connect with investors and travel technology leaders who can help turn the patented concept into a widely available service—giving travelers a more interactive way to explore now and plan where they want to go next.