In recent years, the way we collaborate and communicate has changed drastically.

In-person interactions are rapidly being replaced with virtual conversations hosted through video, messaging, and cloud-connected voice systems. Companies are rapidly investing in a combination of advanced software and hardware solutions to bring more distributed teams together without travel.

Even human teams are being augmented with AI assistants, capable of responding rapidly to queries, scheduling meetings, and translating content. In this ever-evolving world, interest in the potential of immersive technologies such as the metaverse and XR is growing.

In fact, the PWC “Seeing is Believing” report suggests that immersive technologies could deliver a $1.5 trillion boost to the global economy by 2030, in part by changing the way we work together.

But what does it really mean to invest in “immersive collaboration”? What are the technologies companies can use to immerse their teams in better, synchronized experiences, and how will these solutions deliver benefits to the future of work?

Defining Immersive Collaboration: An Introduction

As the workplace continues to evolve, and concepts like hybrid and remote work become more commonplace, companies are learning that the wrong collaborative tools not only harm productivity, but negatively impact engagement, company culture, and efficiency too.

While digital tools for collaboration such as video conferencing and messaging platforms can help to align today’s team members, they don’t tackle every issue today’s distributed teams are facing. Even with access to video for face-to-face interactions, remote teams can struggle to connect with their colleagues, and shared information, creating a significant disconnect between staff.

Immersive collaboration aims to solve this problem. Essentially, the term “immersive collaboration” refers to any collaborative strategy leveraging technology to “embed” employees into a shared digital experience. It involves connecting the physical and digital worlds in a way that enhances a sense of shared presence, and assists teams in solving problems creatively.

Some of the core components involved in immersive collaboration include:

Virtual Reality:

VR solutions allow teams to embed themselves into digital environments to work alongside colleagues wherever they are. With a VR headset and software solution, teams can work together on “digital twins” of products, created in a virtual environment.

They can connect three-dimensionally with colleagues through customized avatars, interact with resources in a digital space, and experiment with tools in the digital world.

Augmented Reality:

AR tools help to bring digital technology into a physical environment. Smart glasses and smartphone apps enhanced with AR can allow consumers to view digital assets in the context of their current surroundings. These tools can allow companies to see real time guidance and annotations delivered by experts, overlaid on top of their surroundings.

Mixed Reality:

Combining elements of virtual and augmented reality, mixed reality also combines the real world with digital content.

However, with mixed reality, the experience is enhanced, allowing for greater levels of depth. Companies like Microsoft with the HoloLens and other mixed reality vendors are experimenting with tools that can even create holographic versions of employees in a team environment, to enhance inclusion.

Haptics and Spatial Sound:

Alongside concepts like spatial sound, haptic solutions help to increase the impact of an immersive environment, providing tactile feedback to users when they interact with digital assets. Haptic systems can help to enhance muscle memory during training initiatives, and make every interaction in a virtual or mixed reality environment feel more realistic.

Spatial sound, on the other hand, delivers audio experiences with a focus on positioning, so users can detect which people or objects are making noise based on their location.

Metaverse environments are another example of immersive collaboration, which combines all of the solutions mentioned above with additional innovative technology. Through a combination of extended reality, artificial intelligence, and cloud-based computing tools, companies can create entire digital spaces built to recreate the “workplace” in the virtual world.

The Benefits of Immersive Collaboration

The technology industry is still in the early stages of developing immersive collaboration as a far-reaching, business-transforming experience. However, as innovations in the metaverse, XR, and AV world continue to evolve, new opportunities to explore immersive collaboration are emerging all the time. Primarily, the main benefit of these solutions is the ability to create a more engaging environment for teams to work in, which isn’t restricted by the boundaries of physical location.

Immersive collaboration tools promise to streamline workflows, and improve the way teams work together, while cutting down on the need for extensive travel and physical real estate. In the right circumstances, immersive collaboration can:

  • Strengthen team dynamics: Immersive collaboration environments and tools revolutionize working processes, allowing teams to work more effectively together, regardless of where they’re physically located. Immersive technologies can bring anyone into a “team experience” from anywhere in the world, ensuring a higher level of engagement and inclusion.
  • Transform training opportunities: Collaborative immersive experiences allow employees to train and develop new skills together, without having to travel to a physical location. Teams can interact with digital twins of technologies and tools, gain hands-on experiences, and more, all while interacting with colleagues in their team, and building new bonds.
  • Enhance creativity: Immersive technologies are already helping teams manufacture and produce new products with fewer resources and less waste. With XR and metaverse solutions, employees can experiment with new designs and strategies, without the risk and cost associated with using physical resources.
  • Improve sustainability: Investing in immersive collaboration strategies also allows companies to cut down on their carbon footprint. Not only can teams produce products in virtual environments instead of building physical prototypes, to reduce production waste, but they don’t have to travel long distances to connect with colleagues either.
  • Increase inclusion: Making employees feel like a crucial member of the team, even when they’re working remotely, can be complicated in any environment. Immersive solutions make it easier for team members around the world to access a shared environment, where everyone has the same level of “presence”. VR, AR, and mixed reality technologies are all excellent at bringing a physical sense of presence back to teams in a distributed workforce.

The Evolution of Immersive Collaboration

Immersive technologies are playing a significant role in changing the way businesses operate. Today’s solutions are transforming everything from training and development initiatives, to the way companies connect with their customers. Used correctly, solutions like XR and the metaverse can also strengthen the connections between teams, and enhance the way people work together.

In today’s digital world, where teams are distributed around the globe, immersive collaboration tools could be the key to preserving crucial connections between staff members, and improving the flow of crucial information.



from UC Today https://ift.tt/L2UY9O5