Redefining work-life balance
In 2010, much of the labor force had adapted to a new way of work. Called ROWE (results-oriented work environment) over 9% of the entire US working population had shifted to remote or at-home office spaces.
Fast forward to 2020 - and sprinkle in an ongoing pandemic - and the number of remote workers has risen by an astounding 400%. However, public health isn’t the only reason so many offices have shuttered. Even after a vaccine is sourced and life gets back to normal, don’t expect many businesses to renew leases in expensive downtown offices.
READ: Imagine making a Pixar-quality movie from the comfort of your home
The reason: companies are experiencing major financial gains by leaning on a digital workforce. As an example, Sun Microsystems has reported annual savings of $68million USD by closing its offices.
Additionally, much of the workforce has embraced the shift. With remote work comes more flexibility, family time, and way less commuting.
Yet, not all is well in work-from-home land. Morale has hit an all-time low and studies suggest not everyone is equipped to thrive professionally in this new age setup.
Perhaps technology could provide a solution? By harnessing the power of augmented reality (AR), Smart Glasses could one day make us forget we’re working out of our kitchen.
Could Smart Glasses make you feel like you’re in the office...when you’re really at home?
Credit: itnext
The cure to ‘Zoom Fatigue’
Since many companies plan on working from home until deep into 2021 (and beyond), a long-term solution to the social isolation of your home office must be found. Unfortunately, fake commutes and virtual water coolers aren’t going to cut it forever.
Eventually, Smart Glasses could help fill this mental wellness gap, becoming an everyday aspect of enhancing the remote worker’s life. Here’s what you have to look forward to with AR Smart Glasses:
- Virtual decor
Fancy a view of New York from the Chrysler Tower? How about a few inspirational or cerebral paintings on the walls? The world seen through your Smart Glasses lenses could be infinitely customizable. Rendered in 5K, these objects would be suspended in virtual space, making it seem like you’re the main character in a video game. As the tech improves, it’ll be difficult to tell virtual from physical environments.
- Shared spaces
Regardless of your profession or industry, colleagues will be able to collaborate on virtual projects. Architects could work together on 3D models, manipulating aspects of the project with their hands.
- Holographic colleagues
Lonely? Arrange a virtual hangout with a colleague - but not over Skype or Zoom. As holograms, it’s the next-best thing to traveling across town for an afternoon coffee. Only visible through your Smart Glasses lenses, colleagues could walk around one another’s office spaces, like in a sci-fi movie. You could even create your own virtual companion robot.
- No hands required
The entire office could be controlled with a professional’s voice and hands, freeing their hands up to adjust virtual spreadsheets and charts. This would be especially helpful to executives, who could instantly produce floating performance graphics in real-time.
- No more screens
This technology could eventually render physical screens obsolete. Instead of placing large monitors on your desk - an aesthetically displeasing sight - you can throw virtual screens anywhere you like. These screens would remain in place while you move around, operating much like browser windows on your computer monitor.
- Remote training
Already available on Vuzix® Smart Glasses, experts at home can see the first-person point-of-view of trainees. This has already proven very effective for surgeons and technicians, as experienced remote instructors guide students through complex installs and procedures.
Zoom Fatigue and the isolation of working from home are detrimental to our mental health. Could Smart Glasses fix that?
Image credit: Mindful.org
In the future, everyone will lead two lives
This list is just the tip of the iceberg - Smart Glasses could eventually turn Average Joes into real-life Tony Starks. Users could instantly replicate iconic environments found throughout the world in their living room. Venture outside and you could markup the beach with 3D cartoon characters. Granted, it will take time before this dream becomes a reality. Yet, it’s not all that far-fetched.
As the pandemic continues, the technology has found a home in a number of industries.
Tomorrow, Vuzix Smart Glasses could help solve global workforce morale problems. Today, they have become an ally of business operators, increasing productivity and reducing labor in warehousing, manufacturing, and medicine, among many other industries.
The enterprise world has embraced Smart Glasses. Soon, remote workers could wake up in their bedroom and enter a completely new environment - simply by donning a piece of wearable display tech.
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