Extended Reality and Line-of-Sight Information

We live in an era of rapid technological change, where new devices and applications are constantly emerging and transforming our lives. Among these innovations, virtual reality (VR) augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR), spatial computing, wearable tech devices, implanted devices, and environmental monitors are some of the most exciting and promising fields.  

These technologies have the potential to create immersive, interactive, and personalised experiences that can enhance our work, learning, entertainment, and social interactions. However, these technologies also pose many challenges and questions, such as how to design effective and engaging user interfaces, how to ensure data privacy and security, how to measure and improve user satisfaction and well-being, and how to balance the benefits and risks for different groups and contexts. 

In this article, we will explore the current state and future trends of these technologies, focusing on their applications and implications for experience management in the workplace. Experience management is the process of designing, delivering, and optimising the experiences of employees, customers, partners, and other stakeholders, using data and feedback to understand their needs, expectations, and preferences, and to create value and loyalty. Experience management is crucial for any organisation that wants to remain competitive, innovative, and customer-centric in the digital age.

We will examine how all this tech can help organisations to achieve these goals, can improve employee engagement, and protect employee’s well-being. We will also discuss the challenges and best practices for implementing these technologies in the workplace, such as how to integrate them with existing systems and processes, how to ensure user acceptance and adoption, how to evaluate their impact and outcomes, and how to address the ethical, legal, and social issues that may arise. 

Extended Reality and Line-of-Sight Information 

This section introduces the concepts and definitions of VR, XR, spatial computing, and line-of-sight information, and reviews the current and emerging applications and use cases of these technologies for experience management in the workplace. 

Virtual Reality: Immersive Training and Beyond

VR stands for Virtual Reality; a technology that creates immersive and interactive simulations of real or imaginary environments, using head-mounted displays (HMDs) and controllers. VR can provide users with a sense of presence and embodiment in the virtual world, and can evoke emotional and physiological responses similar to those experienced in the real world. VR can be used for various purposes in the workplace, such as training, education, collaboration, prototyping, visualisation, entertainment, and well-being. 

Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality: Enhancing Real-World Experiences

XR stands for Extended Reality; a term that encompasses all the technologies that combine real and virtual elements, such as VR, Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). AR is a technology that overlays digital information, such as images, text, or sound, on the user's view of the real world, using devices such as smartphones, tablets, smart glasses, or HMDs. MR is a technology that blends real and virtual objects in a shared space, allowing users to interact with both, using devices such as HoloLens or Magic Leap. XR can enable users to access relevant and contextual information, enhance their perception and cognition, and augment their capabilities and experiences in the workplace. 

Spatial Computing: A New Paradigm for Interaction

Spatial computing is a term that describes computing that leverages the spatial properties of the physical and virtual world, such as location, orientation, movement, and interaction, to create intuitive and natural interfaces and applications. Spatial computing relies on technologies such as XR, computer vision, machine learning, sensors, and IoT, to understand and manipulate the spatial data and context of users and objects, and to provide immersive and seamless experiences across different environments and devices. Spatial computing can transform the way people work, learn, communicate, and create, by enabling them to interact with digital content and services in a more human and spatial way. 

Line-of-Sight Information: Keeping Users Informed

Line-of-sight information is a term that refers to the information that is presented to the user's field of view, without requiring them to look away from their primary task or focus. Line-of-sight information can be delivered by devices such as smart glasses, HMDs, or heads-up displays (HUDs), which can project or display information on the user's eyes, glasses, windshield, or other surfaces. Line-of-sight information can help users to perform their tasks more efficiently, safely, and accurately, by providing them with real-time feedback, guidance, alerts, or instructions, without distracting them from their main activity. One of the potential benefits of line-of-sight information is that it can help users to avoid text neck syndrome, a condition that results from prolonged and repeated flexion of the neck while looking down at a device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Text neck syndrome can cause pain, stiffness, and inflammation in the neck, shoulders, and upper back, and can lead to chronic musculoskeletal disorders, nerve damage, or spinal degeneration. Line-of-sight information can help to prevent text neck syndrome by allowing users to keep their head and neck in a neutral and ergonomic position, while accessing relevant and contextual information in their field of view. This can improve their posture, comfort, and health, as well as their productivity and efficiency. 

These technologies have different use cases in all verticals, depending on the specific needs and goals of each industry, sector, or domain. For example, VR can be used to train employees in high-risk or complex scenarios, such as nuclear equipment management, firefighting, surgery, or aviation, or to simulate customer interactions, such as retail, hospitality, or tourism. XR can be used to enhance collaboration and communication among remote or distributed teams, or to support decision-making and problem-solving, such as engineering, design, or architecture.

Spatial computing can be used to create immersive and engaging learning environments, or to foster innovation and creativity, like in art or entertainment. Line-of-sight information can be used to improve performance and quality, or to ensure safety and compliance, like in manufacturing, maintenance, or logistics. 

Human adaptation and acceptance of spatial computing technologies 

One of the challenges of spatial computing is to design and implement technologies that respect the human factors and social norms of personal space, privacy, and comfort. Spatial computing technologies, such as XR, computer vision, or line-of-sight information, can potentially intrude on the user's physical and psychological space, or generate ethical and social concerns, like data protection, consent, or trust. Therefore, it is important to understand how humans adapt and accept these technologies, and what factors influence their perception and behaviour. 

One of the factors that can affect the human adaptation and acceptance of spatial computing technologies is the level of immersion and presence that they provide. Immersion refers to the degree to which the technology creates a realistic and believable simulation of another environment or situation, while presence refers to the degree to which the user feels present and engaged in the simulated environment or situation. Higher levels of immersion and presence can enhance the user's experience and satisfaction, but also increase the risk of negative effects, such as motion sickness, dissociation, or loss of awareness of the real environment. 

Another factor that can affect the human adaptation and acceptance of spatial computing technologies is the level of privacy and security that they provide. Privacy refers to the degree to which the user can control and protect their personal data and identity, while security refers to the degree to which the technology prevents unauthorised access and misuse of the user's data and identity. Lower levels of privacy and security can increase the user's sense of vulnerability and distrust, especially when the technology involves outward-facing cameras that can capture and transmit the user's surroundings and activities. XR and VR equipment that use outward facing cameras can be perceived as a personal intrusion, as they can expose the user's private and sensitive information to others, such as location, facial expressions, or body movements. There is a very real concern amongst individuals that this data can be misused and gives the wearer an unfair advantage in social interactions. 

A third factor that can affect the human adaptation and acceptance of spatial computing technologies is the level of social and contextual awareness that they provide. Social awareness refers to the degree to which the technology enables the user to communicate and collaborate with other users or agents, while contextual awareness refers to the degree to which the technology adapts and responds to the user's environment and situation. Higher levels of social and contextual awareness can improve the user's sense of connection and relevance, but also raise more issues of privacy and security. 

One example of a spatial computing technology that balances these factors the line-of-sight information, which provides the user with relevant and timely information without disrupting their main activity or focus. Line-of-sight information can be seen as a step in the acceptability of spatial computing technologies, as it does not require the user to wear intrusive devices, such as cameras or headsets, or to share their personal data, such as location or identity, with others. Line-of-sight information can also be easily turned on and off, depending on the user's preference and need. Line-of-sight information can help the user to perform their tasks more effectively and safely, while respecting their personal space and comfort. As the user becomes more familiar and comfortable with line-of-sight information, they may be more willing to adopt other spatial computing technologies that offer more immersive, interactive, and social experiences, such as XR or computer vision. 

An example of acceptance of this technology is through a trial that our own Kyle Davies (Head of the Office of the CTO) conducted, whereby he worked solely from his phone, AR headset and a foldable keyboard for a week. In his own words, “it worked amazingly well, even if I did look a little strange during the trial.” One of the challenges he came across was where he was confronted on a train by another passenger feeling nervous and uneasy because they thought he was recording them, even though his glasses have no camera. 

Ramp-up of adoption and technology level 

One of the challenges that businesses face when adopting spatial computing technologies is to determine the optimal level of immersion and interaction that suits their needs and goals. ‘Immersion’ refers to the degree to which the technology creates a sense of presence and realism for the user, while ‘interaction’ refers to the degree to which the technology enables the user to manipulate and influence the virtual or augmented environment. Different levels of immersion and interaction can have different effects on the user's cognition, emotion, and behaviour, as well as different costs and benefits for the business. 

The least immersive level of spatial computing technology is heads-up glasses, which are transparent devices that display information or graphics in the user's field of view, without blocking or altering the real world. Heads-up glasses can be used to provide line-of-sight information, navigation, notifications, or reminders to the user, while allowing them to maintain their attention and awareness of their surroundings. Heads-up glasses can also support hands-free communication and collaboration, as the user can see and hear other users or agents through the device. Heads-up glasses are relatively low-cost, easy to use, and non-intrusive, but they also have limited capabilities and functionalities, such as low resolution or narrow field of view. I have been working with one of the many developers in this space and have found that I became dependent on this presentation of real-time information in your line of sight very quickly, and every customer I have spoken to started building out their own use cases when presented with this technology. 

The next level of immersion and interaction is augmented reality (AR), which is a technology that overlays digital content onto the real world, creating a mixed-reality experience. AR can be accessed through various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or head-mounted displays (HMDs). AR can enhance the user's perception and understanding of their environment by providing contextual and personalised information, guidance, or feedback. AR can also enable the user to interact with the digital content, such as selecting, moving, or manipulating virtual objects, or playing games or simulations. AR can offer more rich and engaging experiences than heads-up glasses, but it also requires more sophisticated hardware and software, and it can pose more challenges for privacy and security, as the user's data and location can be exposed or hacked. 

The most immersive and interactive level of spatial computing technology is virtual reality (VR), which is a technology that creates a fully synthetic environment, which replaces the user's real world. VR can be accessed through HMDs, gloves, or suits that provide visual, auditory, and haptic feedback to the user. VR can immerse the user in a different reality, where they can explore, learn, create, or entertain themselves, without any physical or social constraints. VR can also enable the user to interact with other users or agents, creating a sense of social presence and co-presence. VR can offer the most realistic and immersive experiences of spatial computing technologies, but it also has the highest costs and risks, such as high hardware and software requirements, motion sickness, cybersickness, or dissociation from the real world. 

The balance of immersion and interaction to time used, along with value and purpose, has to be considered when choosing the appropriate level of spatial computing technology for a business. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’, but there is a real need for businesses to consider how they leverage emerging technology to drive their business. Some factors that can influence the decision are: 

• The objective and outcome of the business activity: what is the goal and expected result of using the technology? How does it align with the business’ strategy and vision? 

• The type and level of user engagement: how much attention, involvement, and participation does the activity require from the user? How does it affect the user's cognition, emotion, and behaviour? 

• The cost and benefit of the technology: how much time, money, and resources does the technology entail? How does it compare to the alternatives or competitors? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the technology? 

• The ethical and social implications of the technology: how does the technology affect the user's privacy, security, identity, and well-being? How does it affect the user's relationship with others and society? What are the potential risks and harms of the technology? 

By considering these factors, businesses can choose the optimal level of spatial computing technology that suits their needs and goals and maximises their value and impact. 

Conclusion 

Spatial computing is not a one-size-fits-all technology. Different use cases, personas, and business outcomes require different levels of spatial computing capabilities and features. Adopting spatial computing is a gradual process that involves assessing the current state, envisioning the desired future state, and designing the optimal roadmap to get there. Along the way, businesses need to balance the benefits of spatial computing with the ethical and social implications, such as privacy, security, and user expectations. 

CDW can help businesses navigate the complex and evolving landscape of spatial computing and find the best solutions for their needs. We have the expertise and experience to help with persona mapping, technology adoption and development, and strategic alignment of extended reality, augmented reality, virtual reality, and spatial computing outside of the gaming world. CDW can also help businesses identify and mitigate the potential risks and harms of spatial computing and ensure that the technology is used in a responsible and ethical manner. 

Spatial computing is transforming the way we interact with the world and each other. With CDW, businesses can leverage the power and potential of spatial computing to create immersive, engaging, and impactful experiences for their customers, employees, and partners. 

Extended Reality and Line-of-Sight Information is part three of a four-part Modern Workspace series, other articles include thoughts on Harnessing Technology To Revolutionise Meeting Spaces, Measuring and Improving the Employee Experience, and Smart Offices.