Myo armband and smartglasses set for deskless workplace

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Thalmic Labs, Canada-based makers of the Myo armband, has announced the integration of Myo with smartglasses, with the partnership help of a number of companies pairing the Myo with their products. The gesture-control Myo armband fits around the forearm and provides control options. Thalmic Labs means serious business for Myo in on-the-job applications deploying wearables. Technicians, engineers and other workers who operate in deskless environments are the workers in focus. The idea is for Myo to be paired with smartglasses for touch-free, voice-free interactions in environments where users cannot or do not want to touch their glasses, or where noise or other factors make voice control less than ideal. Myo's gesture control is to be compatible with a range of smartglasses.

Wearable technology in general is expected to affect how people will interact with content in our near future, from technicians to physicians, but, as Russell Holly in Geek com commented, "the wearable tech of today in stock form isn't good enough."

Lugging laptops or workstations is not practical but in many work settings in labs and out of doors, cumbersome headgear or gloves that have to be put on, then removed, then put on again, may also be impractical, preventing workers from staying agile. Thalmic Labs sets its sights on Myo and smart glasses deployments across field service, healthcare, construction, and other active outdoor types of work.

Thalmic along with the companies involved could help fix the problem. Mobile workers, in other words, need genuinely mobile technology. A lot of business models really do depend on logistics, said Shane Luke, Recon Instruments, and even a small difference in how productive an employee is can make a huge difference in the success of the company. The four companies announced are APX Labs, Bridgit, Augmedix and Recon Instruments.

Brian Ballard, cofounder and CEO of APX Labs, said the company is building enterprise-grade software for smartglasses. They have become known for their applications for commercial, medical, entertainment, energy and Industrial customers. Ballard said that the partnership with Thalmic Labs also shows the enterprise that there is broad support for end use cases with smartglasses, giving more confidence to customers, as reported in TechRepublic.

Bridgit is a useful case in point for why Myo paired with smartglasses could find a comfortable place in deskless settings. Bridgit is building software for construction sites, in settings where having to put materials down, having to take the gloves off, is not a practical option for workers, and where a quicker way to input information is preferred. Using Myo, a construction manager could walk through sites, snap photos of any issues spotted, and communicate with subcontractors immediately, for a seamless flow of communication.

More information: www.thalmic.com/en/myo/

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