Advances in Connected Worker Technology
Virtual Site Visits
Fig . 3 : Remote Assistance , Microsoft Dynamics
As opposed to tours , which can and have been virtualized for many years to allow interested parties ( e . g ., students , visitors , etc .) to experience a site , there are many traditional visits that still require physical travel to a location to conduct the due business process . Examples include consulting engagements , operational diligences , senior executive visits , quality inspections , or equipment maintenance or troubleshooting .
However , recent events such as the COVID 19 pandemic have illustrated the pressing need to enable the virtualization of these visits for executives , consultants , investors , or suppliers . While it is unclear whether this unprecedented environment will extend for the long-term , virtual site inspections provide an effective alternative to visit locations that may not be otherwise possible due to access or time constraints .
From a technology standpoint , connected HMDs with video and audio streaming capabilities provide an excellent tool to conduct virtual site inspections . Among others , business requirements often include one-to-many conferencing , user point-of-view , reasonable cost profile , ambient noise cancellation , hands-free frictionless form factor , reasonable image resolution , etc .
The connected worker wearing the HMD can be free to focus on the external environment , which is particularly important in manufacturing sites for instance . She can walk through the location , record or even live stream the event , stop at designated points of interest , and follow instructions provided by the stakeholders who are joining virtually .
Of note , HMDs for connected workers are sometimes referred to incorrectly as virtual reality headsets . VR headsets are fully immersive , as noted above , which would not be appropriate as it is critical that the worker remains acutely aware of her surroundings for safety . Once again , this example illustrates the importance of understanding business and technical requirements for the use case at-hand before recommending an appropriate technology solution .
IIC Journal of Innovation - 59 -