Google Glass

Companies can leverage this device to benefit from hands-free communication, image and video recording, on-demand knowledge, location-based data collection, and three-dimensional augmented reality. Any of these tools can aid a company in data automation and empower real-time analytics of a workforce.

One example of a safety application is combining the GPS location capabilities with the known danger areas on a worksite to increase awareness. When a user enters the “danger zone”, a simple notification can pop up and alert the user of required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). The notification could ask the user if he or she would like to see the company’s procedures for that particular area of the site. This solution could be easily built in to the device and would be ideal for training purposes.

One example of a productivity application is using the GPS location capabilities with the camera and voice recording to automate field-data collection. When a user is doing routine data collection around the site, the device could be used as a tool for capturing the data and automatically uploading the information to the company’s system. This translates into faster analytics and improved efficiency.

The principle benefit of this technology is tough to define since there are so many applications that could offer a significant ROI. Like SmartPhones and tablets, the largest impact will come from the applications written by the development community or customized platforms that integrate with a company’s system.