XR for the Future of Work
Northeastern University shall help our external partners manage increasingly virtual interactions and collaboration across teams by guiding how XR can improve how we collaborate and train employees.
PARTNERING FOR PRODUCTIVITY
XR technologies are expected to vastly improve team collaboration and engagement, while reducing risk and knowledge retention in training, to help companies achieve measurable and significant near-term gains in productivity. XR technologies will enable opportunities for employees with disabilities to engage on their terms, both in terms of day-to-day activities and training for new opportunities. In this way, research in XR for the future of work can expand diversity, equity and inclusion.
Northeastern University’s focus on partnered research and discovery helps drive improvements through a non-biased focus on potential applications, metrics and data assessment, and anticipated return on investment (ROI). Northeastern faculty and staff are currently engaged with partners across industry sectors. As a few examples of many, The D’Amore McKim School of Business (DMSB) and CAMD’s School of Architecture are exploring corporate-university partnerships with leading tech companies such as Meta and Varjo while the College of Science is working with partners in the biotechnology industry (i.e. National Resilience, Inc. and ThermoFisher Scientific).
A NEW ERA OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
XR technologies are being deployed to improve employee safety in hazardous environments, protect expensive equipment throughout the learning process, ensure consistency of training materials with a focus on regulatory compliance, collect data on potential areas of concern or pain points that require additional training, and much more. XR technologies are also a time save to train new employees on simple techniques and technologies, thus freeing up time for trainers and learners to focus on more complex training content.
EFFICIENCY BEGETS PRODUCTIVITY
XR can serve as a virtual expert and provide step-by-step instructions to procedural execution. This can allow for employees to perform a procedure with little training as well as provide expert advice on how to complete a procedure. Employees in many industries are now able to use XR to receive answers to their questions without waiting for a supervisor who may be busy attending to other responsibilities.
XR also allows for application and field service support in real time through instructive prompts, guided repairs, and operational resources without waiting for an expert from the company or manufacturer to come onsite to fix a problem. This is particularly valuable for reducing travel and downtime without losing activity.
THE NORTHEASTERN XR ECOSYSTEM IS REDEFINING THE WORKPLACE
Northeastern University shall help our external partners manage increasingly virtual interactions and collaboration across teams by guiding how XR can improve how we collaborate and train employees. This work includes what “physical” companies look like, how employees connect through virtual portals and collaborative team-based platforms, and innovation within the meta verse and with digital twins.
CONNECT WITH US
If you would like to learn more about how Northeastern University is applying XR to the world’s most
pressing challenges, connect with us at extendedreality@northeastern.edu