The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our world. An online way of living, that was predicted to happen in the future, is happening right now. It did not take long for people to realise the advantages of online shopping when supermarkets had shortages during lockdown. Many people found that their favourite high street shops were just as good if not better online. But it was not only the consumers that changed the way they operated. The way we work needed to change as well. As James Belcher has been finding out.
Virtual working
Businesses all over the world have been looking for a solution to the lockdown restrictions. A big part of the answer has been working from home, using the internet. The idea that working from home could be as productive as working from an office was often ignored in the past and employers shied away from using the available technology. However, in the pandemic, that same technology went from being a “nice to have” add-on, to a vital tool for the survival of the business. How would meetings be held? How would teams communicate their ideas effectively? Suddenly the video conferencing tools supplied by the likes of Zoom, Skype and Google became essential and old barriers to technology had to be brushed aside.
The further we get into the pandemic the more obvious it is that working in a virtual world is not only possible, but also effective. It is a way of working that large businesses can accommodate, not just freelancers or tech start-ups. Many businesses were saved by the virtual workplace revolution. However, it is only now that organisations are beginning to really see the future possibilities of modern virtual working.
Lookseecity, modernising the virtual workplace
Lookseecity focuses on the possibilities of virtual working and how it can be advanced. One of the areas Lookseecity has already begun to develop is Virtual Reality. As a technology VR has a huge amount of potential and is continually advancing. For example, 78% of Americans are familiar with VR (Source: Greenlight Insights, GlobalWebIndex) and the worldwide AR and VR market size is forecast to grow 7.7X between 2018 and 2022 (Source: Statista, Greenlight Insights).
Many believe that VR is an expensive tool, not vital to today’s workplace. This may have been the case five years ago but with the development of such systems as Vive and Oculus, VR systems will be far more affordable and at the heart of virtual working. Lookseecity is now exploring Live Streaming for VR and discovering how widely the technology can be used. Live Streaming is the engine for interaction on the internet that is mainly confined to niche markets such as online gaming. But, when combined with VR, Live Streaming has the potential to significantly enhance our experience. Making Zoom seem like a flickering black and white TV in comparison.
VR live streaming
Lookseecity has been working on the idea of live streaming VR. With Covid-19 looming over businesses all over the world there needs to be a better way of connecting than Zoom. Why? Because even though Zoom has served us well during covid-19 it has not given us the experience of being in the same place as the other person. You can’t look around at their surroundings or take in their environment as if you were there. You can’t get a true impression of physical objects, materials or environments. With VR that is possible.
Imagine this situation, you have a new factory opening in Japan. But unfortunately, your own country is in lockdown, restricting movement to work and making a flight to Japan difficult. So instead you use live stream VR. At your end of the connection you would be wearing a VR headset in the comfy surroundings of your own home. At the factory end in Japan a guide would be taking you around with a 360 camera either mounted on their head, using a rig, or on a selfie-stick at head height. Using 5G all the data from the cameras would be sent to the VR headset live and there you have it, a completely live tour of a factory in one hundred percent virtual reality thousands of miles away. The future virtual workplace is not just at home. It is everywhere and anywhere.
The main thing holding this technology back is the speed of current wifi connections. That is why the development of safe to use 5G networks is vital. For example, the new Oculus Quest 2 has the power at a very affordable price, Lookseecity is developing the technology, it is just a matter of waiting for the internet to catch up with our demanding virtual culture.
Lookseecity’s current VR products
Currently Lookseecity has developed an app that combines a recorded 360 degree VR environment with 2D inserts and interaction. This technology is ready to go, and the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Lookseecity can develop a guide to suit your needs using a mix of videos, games and exploring a virtual world.
The creator of Lookseecity Jon Devitt said, “Nothing replaces the potency of face-to-face human interaction, but as we’ve learnt over the last few months that isn’t always possible. There is an increasingly important role for technology to replicate the interaction we once took for granted. VR/AR is best we’ve come up with so far – it maximizes the use of our senses. It is, as the name suggests, as near to reality as we can get.” Learn more about the app.
The idea of the virtual workplace is epitomised by VR and the modernisation of the ‘office’. For many companies, the office desk is becoming a thing of the past. Employees work from their own homes in a more independent way than ever giving a greater work life balance as well as increasing productivity. The idea of virtual working is no longer somewhere in the future, it is happening right now and Lookseecity is leading the way. What do you want to explore?