From Zoom Fatigue to Virtual Bliss: The Ah Ha Moment of Human Interaction in Work Spatial

In today's dynamic business landscape, the momentum is unmistakably surging towards prioritizing the power of experience. But what if we could go beyond just trends and rekindle the essence of our humanity within the corporate realm but in the virtual world?

Spatial computing is the catalyst poised to revolutionize the way enterprises operate in the new digital era. This transformative technology seamlessly infuses the digital domain with a strikingly human touch. Imagine the ability to exchange warm greetings with colleagues, casually stroll alongside team members to and from crucial meetings, engage in immersive side-by-side learning, foster seamless project collaborations, indulge in short rooftop yoga or stretching sessions for rejuvenation. Need a new perspective, how about overlooking a beautiful sunset in Bali even if you’re in a gray rainy Virginia home office at noon on a Monday. Relish in coffee breaks with newfound colleagues and network for future success even though you are in different time zones, company divisions and continents. The potential is boundless, and enterprises can truly thrive in a virtual environment that redefines the boundaries of possibility.

We think spatial computing will transcend the conventional and embrace a future that empowers the work force to flourish through unparalleled experiences.

Ah ha moment

Something incredible happened when building Work Spatial. We gave up Zoom/Teams/Google video conference meetings and only met on our own platform (as to be expected when user testing) what happened was an ah ha moment. I remember the day we got off the platform and we all realized we had the very real human feeling of being in the same room with each other even though our locations were thousands of miles and time zones from each other. Walking to a meeting room from the lobby had us all strolling together and something organic took place, little pleasantries were exchanged; “How is your day?” “going good” a bit of silence while we all strolled, then “Do you like the length of the new corridor model?” “I think it works well.” We all entered the culture room. The Culture room is set with large glass windows overlooking a beautiful cityscape, a large white board and a conference table. Next, we all needed to make a decision to look around and choose a seat at the table. I noticed that we were polite and walked to where we felt most comfortable, our own personal preference for sitting locations. There are those that like the back of the room seats, those that like the corner chairs, others who prefer to be in the middle seats with full view of the entire team. These are all real world micro decisions and actions that took place that clearly involved social cues and polite interactions. The experience was all very human-like, all natural and it was happening in the virtual realm.

A male team member next to me waited for me to take a seat first then went around to my other side and took a seat next to me. He was allowing me to take the first pick of chairs, a very real human gesture and the action was observed and appreciated by me. We were transferring our in world gestures to the virtual with virtual human interactions! We talked, we strolled, allowed others to enter doors before us, we deferred to others to choose their seat first, we virtually interacted but it all felt very real and in-person.

My brain registered this as an in-person experience and we all felt elated. Bingo!

I later did some research on this experience and found an article from Forbes about spatial computing that would help me understand the interaction and the feelings around it. it stated;

“This is closely related to the concept of an invisible computer, as espoused by Donald Norman in the 90s.

Norman's concept of the "invisible computer" is not about making the physical device disappear, but rather about making the interaction with the computer so seamless and integrated into our daily activities that we're not consciously aware we're using a computer.

Technology becomes "invisible" in the sense that it fades into the background of our awareness.

Therefore, the true objective of spatial computing is as follows:

To eliminate the boundaries between the physical and digital realms, allowing for more natural and immersive interactions with digital technology."

Now everytime I enter this platform, the computer is not a thought, yes I navigate the environment using the simple WASD keys, trackpad and tab, but aside from that my in-platform experiences are continually expanding and it is starting to feel seamless. I’m excited to see where we go with this and how much more we can develop.

As spatial computing technology advances, incorporating various IoT devices, sensors, cameras, and technologies like LiDAR to translate the physical world into the digital realm, we anticipate a parallel evolution in understanding how our brains process these experiences. The question arises: how far can developers push spatial computing and the metaverse? Currently, our platform will focus on accessibility. By ensuring a low entry barrier through the use of webGL, we hope to provide easy access to the virtual world directly from your device without the need for headsets making it more widely available and user-friendly.

The tapestry of virtual collaboration, spatial computing and virtual environments will emerge as the thread that seamlessly weaves the human touch into the fabric of remote work, ushering in a transformative era where the boundaries between physical and virtual dissolve, and the workforce flourishes through authentic and unparalleled experiences.