As a result, most surgeons report experiencing discomfort while performing minimal-access surgery, a 2022 study found. About one-fifth of surgeons polled said they would consider retiring early because their pain was so frequent and uncomfortable. A good mixed-reality headset, then, might allow a surgeon to look at a patient’s surgical area and, without looking up, virtual screens that show them the laparoscopy camera and a patient’s vitals.
I wonder who experiences greater discomfort surgeons or factory workers.
Not that we can currently afford factory workers this tech of course. I’m just imagining if the price of this type of tech was to drop dramatically perhaps it could be used in other fields.
Although by then maybe those jobs would be automated anyway?
I don’t think price is that big of a deal for a factory, really. The machine that worker in using probably costs a hell of a lot more than $3.5k, and in most cases even basic parts/repairs are going to cost that much.
It’s not just the $3.5k cost of a headset. There are recurring costs to maintain the headsets. Even larger than that is cost of converting existing work instructions into the virtual environment and maintaining them. Plus expect push back from some workers, possibly losing some to other companies. And if it’s a union shop, expect them to use the change as leverage in next negotiations.
I would absolutely require more money to strap a chunk of electronics to my face for 8+ hours a workday.
Also you need to provide evidence it’s better than training. I imagine there would be a ton of engineering labor involved in making programs to make it work and that’s not cheap
Airbus in Toulouse has one section of a production line where work instructions, tool tips, and prints are available to the mechanics on VR headset. There are surely other industries that are further along, but in aerospace, that Airbus line is goals. I’ve seen it in an open house / show off situation. I am still skeptical how mechanics use VR headsets for 8+ hour shifts day after day.
I’m sure they’re not as intense as video game VRs, those start giving me headache and nausea after about 45 minutes. 8+ hours seems like it would be a lot. And at 8+ hours, it’s not even just the vision/nausea, I have to assume it becomes a question about ergonomics of neck and shoulders supporting the extra weight.
I’ve played with a few VR headsets and there’s absolutely none of them that I have found that I would enjoy wearing for eight hours a day. They’re all far too heavy.
The new AR prototype glasses from Meta could be useful in that case. Since they’re not heavy and still allow you to see reality. They aren’t a consumer product because of the price, but maybe a surgeon wouldn’t care about the expense as much?
Industrial engineer here, it depends on the factory work. The positions described in the article involve stuff I wouldn’t be ok with my workers doing. But also yeah OSHA is weak but sometimes ergonomics are bad enough to get them involved. It’s an important thing that my generation of engineers were taught to take seriously.
Also AR headsets are very much something we want to implement more in factory settings but the Vision Pro isn’t safe for that. Too heavy and no visual pass through when unpowered. Additionally there are some hygiene issues with wearable tech that have become known concerns when it’s used in industrial environments.
Also beyond that it’ll need a decent value proposition. A factory making small run complex products like trucks or airplanes has great use for it, but a place doing something like injection molding or large scale food manufacturing doesn’t
Surgeons are the most bitch-ass people among doctors, who are already shitty. I install their gear and will literally run away from one who looks like they’re coming with a question. We work when they’re gone, so only a shithead among shitheads would have so little of a life to hang around and question my work. I imagine the ones that know anything about networking are at home but sometimes there’s this little fuck coming acting like he knows computer networks because he works on humans.