Technological innovation opens up such new possibilities that predicting the exact ways in which VR and AR can be applied to the workplace is quite hard, if not impossible. Though the various scenarios of digital realities fed to us by the media may invoke images of a disconnected social structure, this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. In reality, AR and VR can greatly improve the ways in which we communicate and learn, and can make our work more creative and satisfactory.
If you believe that the integration of AR and VR in the workplace is a thing of the distant future, you may be surprised at how wrong you are. More than $5.5 billion was spent in the development of this sector in 2016 alone. This number is estimated to rise to $162 billion by 2020.
There are vast differences between the workings of augmented and virtual reality. The latter provides an all-encompassing immersive experience, while the former provides additional strata of information which we can perceive in our immediate surroundings.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to look at some of the ways in which augmented and virtual reality can modify the workplaces of the future.
The Future of Global Interaction
It is fairly common in the workplaces for professionals to work and collaborate with peers from all over the globe. The same thing applies to services and clients, and even to all business interactions. But the fact of the matter is that when it comes to connecting with people from distant areas, we are still relying on interfaces that are quite primitive when compared to the emerging futuristic technologies.
In making collaboration between people from various parts of the world fluid and seamless, VR will play a central role. With this technology, you can experience sitting with the person you are communicating with, even though they are in some distant part of the globe. VR is also going to change the way people play casino games such as Real Money Pokies and users are likely to have a much more fruitful gambling experience.
Upgrading Employee Education
There is huge potential when it comes to training employees using VR and AR. It is well known that people tend to learn better through interaction than by simply reading a manual. Through AR, companies can train employees through simulation while providing appropriate information at every step.
It can also help in presenting novel information within a set context that can captivate the employees and train them effectively. This can also take some workload off of trained employees who often have to teach the newcomers about the way things are to be done.
Fewer Distractions for the Mind
One of the major impediments to productivity is distractions. Many people find it harder to concentrate in open spaces than others. With virtual reality, employees can completely focus on the tasks without any external influences. Virtual reality could thus provide secluded as well as open areas to encourage the mental spaces that people prefer to work in.
A Cohesive Company Culture
VR can provide fertile grounds for a well connected company culture. People are much more productive when they feel they are part of something bigger, and this significantly improves teamwork as well. There are a host of ways in which VR can create a cohesive, collaborative, and open work culture which can lead to increase in efficiency, creativity, and satisfaction.
We are on the brink of a technological revolution that can make a huge impact on the nature of our work. Many companies are being proactive with these futuristic technologies as they understand that they can reap huge benefits if they are able to adopt them quickly.