After a few setbacks, it is becoming increasingly clear that AR and VR are here to stay and are on the verge of becoming mainstream in both daily life and the workplace, as well as playing a big role in the future of work. Big tech players like Google, Facebook, and Apple continue to invest heavily in AR and VR.
While AR and VR remain primarily the domain of gaming, the investments being made by major technology companies appear geared toward making the technology more broadly appealing and applicable to everyday and workplace applications.
In this article, we discuss the likely areas in which AR and VR can be applied in the workplace to increase productivity.
AR and VR Are Aiming to Become Mainstream
The pandemic and the steep increase in WFH and the associated technology and applications needed to support it gave a boost to AR and VR technologies. In addition to AR and VR, there has also been increasing interest in extended reality (XR), which is the name given to AR, VR, and various combinations of the two.
The environment created by the WFH frenzy led to tech giant Meta going really big in creating the Metaverse, a virtual world in which ordinary people could immerse themselves.
It was quite an ambitious and visionary project; however, it turned out to be ill-conceived or too high-reaching. When market and public interests failed to match Meta's huge investments, this resulted in massive setbacks and losses for the company. Â
Tech companies since then have reined in their ambitions and are now focusing on more practical and pragmatic applications for AR and VR in the workplace, healthcare, and industry to increase productivity and enhance telecommunications.
What is Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality?
First, let's begin by understanding what AR and VR are. Some people struggle to understand the difference between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Let us try to define and differentiate the two terms here.
Augmented reality describes integrating as seamlessly as possible users' digital experiences into their physical environment in real-time. This differs from virtual reality or VR, which aims to manufacture a wholly artificial or virtual environment, with little regard for real-time and real-world integrations.
The main differences between AR and VR can be summed up as follows:
AR relies on real-world settings whereas VR is 100% virtual
AR users have the ability to control their presence in the real world; VR users have no such control in their virtual world
VR requires a headset device, but AR can be accessed with just a smartphone
AR straddles both the virtual and real worlds, whereas VR is only limited to the virtual world
While significantly differing from each other, they can be used separately or in combination with each other to increase productivity in the workplace or to provide enhanced entertainment experiences.
How AR and VR Are Implemented In the Workplace to Increase Productivity
AR and VR have several benefits that can lead to greater productivity for organizations. The ability of AR and VR to increase productivity is based on massive improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the ability of AR to provide sensory information (i.e., visual, audio, or even olfactory) that can enhance the perceptions of employees and simulate real-world environments and conditions.
We are going to consider here the pragmatic applications of VR relating to the future of work.
1. AR and VR Help In Training
The enhanced perception and real-world-type simulations that AR and VR make possible can make them quite useful in training. They can help:
Increase inclusivity
Help workers work in otherwise dangerous conditions
Reduce costs
Provide a better alternative to real-world training
Research has shown that VR and AR can boost the performance of employees regarding complicated or delicate operations and procedures, such as surgical operations. One study showed that VR improved the performance of surgeons who were trained or who practiced with VR, compared to those who did not. Surgeons who used VR were faster and less prone to making errors.
The immersive nature of VR and AR also appears to enhance memory retention in workers. A study related to fire safety showed that workers using VR remembered what they learned more efficiently than those who did not use VR and were also able to better apply what they learned to real-world scenarios.
AR also increases inclusivity since it allows those hindered by factors such as location to participate in training. For example, qualified tech workers located in developing countries can access training from centers located in the US.
2. AR and VR Improve Teleconferencing Experiences
The pandemic ushered in a new world of teleconferencing via Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, and so on. While these teleconferencing technologies were convenient for both the educational and corporate industries, they were "imperative," not optional. In other words, they were compulsory.
Companies and institutions had no choice but to adopt them. As a result, the results were not always optimal. One of the most common complaints was teleconferencing fatigue. Having online meetings that simply rely on staring at the faces of colleagues on the screen can apparently be quite tiring and boring.
The advanced reality of AR lives up to its name by making teleconferencing sessions more lively and interactive. The context clues and body language afforded by face-to-face meetings and interactions go a long way to preventing boredom and fatigue when communicating.
In the absence of these face-to-face interactions, VR with its real-world sensory simulations can be as engaging or even more dynamic.
3. AR and VR Enhances Prototyping and Design
The big data and artificial intelligence that underlies AI mean that corporations can use AR and VR for prototyping and designing new products. By simulating near-authentic experiences, AR and VR allow engineers and designers to gain a better grasp of how end-users can experience or interface with the product.
Plus, AR and VR are tools that enable designers to fast-track the design process, as it allows making real-time changes, as well as seeing the immediate results of these changes.
4. AR and VR Can Revolutionize Workspaces in Medicine
The medical arena is one arena of work that stands to be revolutionized by developments in AR And VR technology. AR and VR provide a number of benefits in terms of transforming medical-related workspaces and benefiting wider humanity in terms of improvements in medicine.
AR and VR can be applied with amazing results in medical training, research, remote surgical operations, and other aspects of MedTech. We mentioned already how AR and VR were able to reduce the rate of errors and knowledge and skill retention among surgeons.
This would mean faster and more effective results for medical students and doctors in training. This would also save time and costs for both doctors and patients In addition, AR and VR using big data allow medical professionals to create intricate models based on the human anatomy, which are essential in both training and increasing understanding of human diseases and bodily functions.
One of the most fascinating aspects of AR and VR applications is in remote surgical operations, where doctors in one location can carry out operations on patients in a different room or even another part of the world using a combination of automation, AR, and VR.
Today, AR and VR are used in medical devices, such as heart monitors and devices for other parts of the human body. They are essential, especially in elderly healthcare, which is a big part of the medical industry, particularly in an era of worldwide aging populations. AR and VR also play a big role in modern physiotherapy.
Patients whose bodies have been severely impaired in accidents or neurodegenerative diseases may use AR and VR to restore bodily functions partially or fully. A 2019 study showed that patients who suffered from Parkinson's disease experienced considerable progress in balance and gait after using AR and VR compared to those who relied on traditional therapy.
AR and VR Are Essential in the Future of Work
AR and VR are set to play a major role in the future of work. This prediction is based on the massive improvements being made in AI technology and the widespread availability and affordability of 4G and 5G. The costs associated with VR and AR remain prohibitive. For example, the price of the latest Apple VR headset is $3,500.
In addition, AR and VR are faced with the issue of motion sickness. This can be solved with more ergonomic designs that make it easier for people to wear these devices.
However, if past tech trends are anything to go by, eventually, the price will go down. After all, the now common laptop that just about everyone has access to began as a large, heavy, and expensive industrial PC that the average consumer would never even think of purchasing. Employers should prepare for the brave new world of AR and VR in the workplace by training workers on how to use them.
Managers should be up-to-date on the latest developments regarding AR and VR and see how these can be incorporated to improve efficiency and productivity. Management should use professional development plans that incorporate teaching employees how to use new AR and VR tools. Plus, employers should even think of how these new AR and VR tools can be used to train workers to become better or more efficient in their work.
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