Wear this and learn your job

Do not doubt how big this will be.



New York Times

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — When Toby Bouska Jr. started assembling cabs for Kenworth semitrucks last year, he learned the ropes by observing longtime workers at the factory. But it wasn’t exactly engaging, and he didn’t get much practice doing the job himself.

“It’s them doing the job, and you just have to watch,” said Mr. Bouska, 21, who works at Kenworth’s plant in Chillicothe. “I’m not really good at just sitting there watching.”

But then his managers had him train in a new way: with a high-tech headset. They gave him a Microsoft HoloLens, a device that blends digital imagery with the real world. When he wore the headset, it overlaid digital arrows and diagrams over the parts he was looking at, helping to guide his work.

“With the HoloLens, it’s just you and the directions,” Mr. Bouska said. He said he had picked up his first new task in about 20 minutes.

The latest version of HoloLens, which ships later this year, will be more tailored to workers than this original model.CreditAndrew Spear for The New York Times

Microsoft estimates that two billion frontline workers have access to fast internet connections and are, in theory, potential customers. In a call with investors this year, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, said selling products for firstline workers expanded the market Microsoft could tap into.