Facebook’s remote workers of the future could work in AR-powered virtual offices

Facebook is experimenting with ways to bring mixed reality experiences to their remote workers. Image: Courtesy of Facebook via AFP Relaxnews

With the COVID-19 pandemic pushing companies to permanently allow their employees to work remotely even after the coronavirus risk has subsided, Facebook is experimenting with ways to optimize at-home work and give their workers the best conditions for optimal productivity.

On Thursday, the company’s vice president of augmented reality and virtual reality technology Andrew Bosworth published a brief clip to Twitter showcasing an in-development virtual office as seen through prototype augmented reality headsets.

https://twitter.com/boztank/status/1263573832889073664

According to “Boz,” the technology shown in the eight-second video is a mixed reality concept that “builds on existing technologies like Passthrough to allow people to switch between real and virtual worlds.” Depicted in the clip is someone moving around and resizing virtual, floating desktop displays to work on various projects. Passthrough technology allows for these tools to be projected onto someone’s actual surroundings in real time, as well as lets them use their real, physical tools like a keyboard.

While this preview was just a sneak peek of what could be, Facebook stated that “We envision a dynamic virtual work environment anchored by genuine social presence. Next-generation devices would give people infinite workspaces with configurable virtual screens, whiteboards, and other visionary tools.” RGA

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