Virtual reality and wearable technology seemed like science fiction only a decade ago – and now we’re seriously looking at the impact both technologies can have on the modern workplace.
The area where these technologies will have the biggest impact is in workplace automation, streamlining processes and eliminating common pain points experienced by businesses of all sizes.
Soon enough, it’s likely we’ll virtual reality accomplish the following goals:
- Eliminate physical computers and create an exponentially increasing base of remote workers. VR headsets could very likely eliminate desktop computers, allowing workers to simply use the headset and wireless keyboards to complete their work, while still allowing for secure access to a company’s VPN.
- Reduce operating costs. No more physical desktop computers means far less operating costs at your physical office location.
What’s most intriguing about this concept, though, is the idea of augmented reality. It often gets lumped with in virtual reality but it’s a separate concept. Augmented reality adds a layer to what you already see, as opposed to virtual reality creating something entirely new. Sounds like science fiction, right? It does, but this type of technology is already available. Daqri, a Teem customer, offers augmented reality products like the Daqri Smart Glasses.
Aside from the typical “heads-up display” information, augmented reality can:
- Help workers visualize workflows
- Identify and correct workflow inefficiencies
- Visualize designs for new products
- Give workers real-time feedback on their performance
- Give workers information relevant to their position within a company, their task, and at their digestible skill level
What about wearables?
Wearable technology – aside from VR headsets – will play a role in workplace automation as well. It’s estimated that offices will contain roughly 75 million pieces of wearable technology, per industry research.
One great example, though, is the Clik Earbud. These earbuds, expected to be available by 2020, will completely eliminate the need for human translators.
The Click Earbud will translate 27 languages in real time, which means your early-morning conference calls with international partners won’t be bogged down by misinterpretation.
For some companies, international business deals may still seem out of reach, but it’s expected by 2020 that the translation industry will have grown 42% since 2010 – in the US alone. That growth is due in large part to the increasing globalization of the economy.
From creating a more effective and robust remote workforce to reducing overall operating costs, virtual reality will make an impact in the workplace in the coming years. Wearable technology will play an integral role in the implementation of this technology as businesses work to use it in order to streamline their automation efforts.
It wasn’t too long ago that virtual reality – and even wearable technology – still felt like science fiction. With the rapid advancements in both technological areas, though, we’re going to see a swift move by the business community to adopt these solutions to aid in workplace automation. Wearable technology is already popular in major tech and SaaS companies across the country – it’ll be incredibly interesting to see where virtuality reality lands and how soon it becomes practically efficient.
This article originally appeared on the Teem website.
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