How modern HMIs have the potential to revolutionize the (hybrid) workplace
The personal computer has revolutionized the workplace. What started in science labs soon came into office buildings: “A computer on every desk and in every home.” Now nearly every workplace in every industry is in some shape or form digitized. Yet in many professions the classic HMIs with a keyboard and a mouse are more of a hurdle than help. Only new HMIs can unlock the full potential of digitization in the workplace.
The first of May is traditionally celebrated in many countries as Laborers’ Day. With the digital revolution often referred to as the third industrial revolution, now is a good time to take a look at the current state of digitization in the workplace.
“Once, if C. Carter Swoope, a junior account officer at Chemical Bank, had a question from one of the bank’s clients, he might have had to ask a clerk to look it up for him. Sometimes, if going into the vault was required, it could have taken hours to get an answer. Now, he puts the caller on “hold” and finds it himself.” That’s the beginning of a New York Times story about the computer’s entry into the working world from 1978. It would be another few decades before a PC was at every office workstation and before the Internet networked all devices. And since then?
Precious little has happened on the desk of many workstations in recent decades
Technology has evolved rapidly. Faster processors, faster data connections, AI and the cloud have changed the way people work with their smartphones, computers (or laptops). Almost every industry and sector, the shipyard as well as the hospital, and every business model has been caught up in the digital transformation. Only on the desk itself precious little has happened. People’s interaction with computers has barely evolved over the past 30 years.
The majority of work with computers is still done using a keyboard and mouse. In private everyday life, the touchscreen on the smartphone or tablet has become the new norm, but even this technology, which is more than ten years old, has not yet arrived everywhere where it could make people’s lives easier.
New ways to interact with computers will make many jobs much easier and efficient
so, yes of course: Making people’s work easier. That was the promise of the computer. And it has undoubtedly delivered in many areas, as a glance at the changed work processes of C. Carter Swoope shows. The only problem is that keyboards and mice are holding back technological potential in many industries. The touchscreen is a transitional solution on the way to simplifying the work of numerous people in the way that the introduction of the PC last did.
In pilot projects, the promise of progress in health care through digitization is being demonstrated in impressive ways, supported by technologies such as VR and AR, as well as robots controlled by doctors in novel, intuitive ways. With state-of-the-art human-machine-interfaces a specialist in Berlin might easily operate a patient in Tokyo. The development of new promising surgery solutions is rapid, but in the day-to-day routines of hospitals, the progress of the digital UX is rather snail-like. New generations of tools like Incari Studio can change that and make the day-to-day work of doctors much easier.
AR has the potential to change our workplace in many industries
A similar logic applies to control centers of ports, airports or traffic in general. Instead of only staring at screens, new innovative HMI technologies such as augmented reality or 3D volumetric displays could make any job that involves monitoring and controlling traffic more efficient.
New HMI technology also has the potential to bring back jobs that digitization already seemingly had destroyed. For example in the retail industry. Why shouldn’t the friendly store clerk soon put the item customers are looking for on the counter via augmented reality or hologram technology and present the available colors and designs at lightning speed, even if the product is not in stock but will automatically be sent to you afterward? This experience might offer customers something that Amazon can’t and thus revive the old brick-and-mortar-store while making the job of store clerks much easier.
Technology has advanced a lot and changed the workplace forever, but the way we interact with computers is basically the way it was in the digital stone age. The technology for new HMIs is here and with the help of Incari, it will revolutionize the way we work with computers — and beyond.
Good design should make people’s lives easier — at Incari we are convinced of this. We are a Berlin-based software provider that creates the HMI development platform Incari Studio. We create the required tools and technologies necessary for developing future-based HMI systems in various industries. InterFaces is a platform to explore what such systems can or will look like at some point in the future. Follow us on Twitter: Incari_HMI, Follow us on Instagram: Incari_HMI, Follow us on LinkedIn: Incari HMI Development.
