Google Glass and Microsoft HoloLens are helping remote supervisors see through their worker’s eyes

Would you want your manager to see everything you do in the day? While as much as I believe I work hard and deliver on my work, there is not a chance I would want to have someone watching me work all the time. In fact, it makes me downright uncomfortable and I would probably stop working entirely as a result.

However, for certain field workers, having the ability for a person to quite literally see what they are doing could be quite beneficial in solving problems provided that is where the eyes-on approach stays. Both Microsoft and Google are pursuing this technology, with Microsoft gaining traction with its Dynamics 365 Remote Assist program which utilises its HoloLens technology to allow workers to connect with others when needing assistance at work:

Google is going to be doing the same by making use of its forgotten Google Glass program, which will now be getting a Meet integration to allow workplaces to connect with others and have them see exactly the problem through the eyes of a client. And hopefully help to solve critical issues faster.

Of course, you could do this with a phone, but for many jobs of this nature, you need both your hands to do the job so would want to keep your communication hands-free. In fact, there are many other positives that could come out of this in the future, including having people provide remote medical assistance when a doctor isn’t available. Currently this technology is quite expensive, it could certainly open up and become a more regular thing in the future.

As for those of us who work on computers, we’ve had the privilege of being able to share screens for many years when we require assistance on how to solve certain problems and make sense of why the code just isn’t working. The company is probably tracking all my other activities in some way already too.

Last Updated: October 16, 2020