In an age where the fear of humans losing jobs to machines is the talk of the town, it’s nice to know that there’s one new technology that will not take jobs, only make them easier for workers. That technology is augmented reality, and plenty of companies across various industries are already seeing the benefits.
Productivity
Companies that have already invested in AR for new workplace experiences are seeing powerful increases in productivity. A study by Boeing, for example, found that the use of augmented reality headsets improved productivity in wiring harness assembly by 25%.
In the States, GE Healthcare found that a warehouse worker receiving a new picklist order through AR completed the task 46% faster than when using the standard process, which relies on a paper list and item searches on a workstation. Case studies across a range of companies found an average productivity increase of 32%.
Productivity is one of the most important aspects of company optimisation at the moment. As the Harvard Business Review explains:
“As advanced economies look to speed growth, they face the headwind of an aging population, which slows the rate of growth of the labor force. The solution to this problem is faster productivity growth, which requires higher worker skills.”
Rather than waiting until better educational and training opportunities come to fruition, augmented reality is allowing this productivity gain right now. But how?
Field Service
The ability of augmented reality to overlay video, images, and text instructions over a physical space has huge potential in manufacturing, and in service and repair roles in particular.
A piece of equipment, for example, can be repaired quickly and accurately when instructions are superimposed on the physical area being mended. These overlaid instructions act as a visual guide for workers, saving time that might otherwise have been wasted consulting paper guides and manuals.
Training
Not only does augmented reality speed up maintenance and manufacturing processes, but also lends itself perfectly to training. A trainee can be virtually placed in real-world situations in which to perform their job duties, offering a hands-on training experience minus the costs and risks associated with real hands-on training.
One particular training area that springs immediately to mind is surgery, where risk to patients is considerably reduced through the use of AR. Even fully-fledged, experienced surgeons could benefit from the increased instruction that augmented reality can bring.
Every industry at every level can train staff with augmented reality, as well as - of course - virtual reality (but that’s a topic for another blog). Most of us have sat through seemingly endless Health and Safety training sessions at work, and come out barely any the wiser. Augmented reality gives workers from all disciplines the opportunity to train in a more practical way, in which they are able to visualise the situation they’re placed in.
Some research by neuroscientists shows that people are more effective problem solvers when parts of the brain concerned with motion are also involved. This suggests, therefore, that training may ‘stick’ better when the trainee is physically involved.
Hands-Free
A Silicon Valley startup named Meta was recently profiled in the MIT Technology Review for their brave decision to do away with desktop computers altogether. Admittedly, the company do make augmented reality headsets for precisely this purpose, so it goes without saying that they’ve got to make the leap first. Nonetheless, the mere fact that it’s possible to do this speaks volumes about what’s next for the workplace of the future.
Rather than spending their days staring at a screen, employees at Meta interact with virtual objects in the office around them, controlling the computer interface by gesture alone. Considering how sedentary office work usually is, the switch to AR computing in the office may be better for our bodies as much as for workplace productivity.
Remote Working
More of us have the opportunity to work remotely these days. Technology has a huge part to play in that. The internet, obviously, but also our smartphones, allow us to work from anywhere in the world and not be tied to the 9 to 5 in one office. This freedom, however, does come with a price. Namely, trying to get everybody together for meetings, and to collaborate in real-time.
A remote team can come together on a project being worked on in-house, all seeing the same thing, wherever in the world they may be. The productivity and time-saving gains here are clear as day.
Design
Designing in virtual/augmented reality may be one of the finest developments for designers from all disciplines, from architecture to graphics, fashion, product design, and beyond. Rather than being limited to the flat page, or a 3D representation in CAD, a design team can work together on a design right there in front of them, as though it were already real. It’s like the dream creative-minded people have had since childhood - and now it’s a reality.
From the mundane to the creative, the ways in which augmented reality will impact the workplace are countless. The impact of AR is touted to be even bigger than virtual reality, though the two aren’t really comparable. Tim Cook (CEO, Apple) has called the possibilities for AR “big and profound” and all signs point to this statement being glaringly true.
