TY - CHAP
T1 - A Critical Appraisal of Extended Reality Technologies for the Future of Work
T2 - Current State and Possible Future Research Directions
AU - Alsanousi, Mowffq M.
AU - Prabhu, Vittaldas V.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Human augmentation technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), digital twins, collaborative robots, and exoskeletons, have spurred significant scientific research, opening new avenues for data visualization, scenario simulation, enhanced collaboration, and improved human–machine interactions. These technologies offer the potential to reshape the future of work by augmenting human capabilities. However, their adoption is hindered by costs, technical challenges, and user-related difficulties. This study critically reviews the literature to evaluate the feasibility and impact of these technologies and suggests directions for future research. A systematic review of studies from January 2015 to January 2024, using Google Scholar, identified 60 publications, with 32 remaining after removing duplicates. Of these, 17 studies were shortlisted based on an abstract review, and 9 met the core criteria for full inclusion. Findings indicate that human augmentation technologies can significantly reduce job completion times and minimize inactivity periods for robots, enhancing productivity in collaborative tasks. VR, in particular, has been effective in training, improving learning outcomes while maintaining performance standards. Future research should explore the long-term effects of these technologies on mental and physical health, particularly across different age groups, and investigate their safe integration into diverse professional settings. This includes expanding participant diversity and assessing broader applications to maximize their practical benefits.
AB - Human augmentation technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), digital twins, collaborative robots, and exoskeletons, have spurred significant scientific research, opening new avenues for data visualization, scenario simulation, enhanced collaboration, and improved human–machine interactions. These technologies offer the potential to reshape the future of work by augmenting human capabilities. However, their adoption is hindered by costs, technical challenges, and user-related difficulties. This study critically reviews the literature to evaluate the feasibility and impact of these technologies and suggests directions for future research. A systematic review of studies from January 2015 to January 2024, using Google Scholar, identified 60 publications, with 32 remaining after removing duplicates. Of these, 17 studies were shortlisted based on an abstract review, and 9 met the core criteria for full inclusion. Findings indicate that human augmentation technologies can significantly reduce job completion times and minimize inactivity periods for robots, enhancing productivity in collaborative tasks. VR, in particular, has been effective in training, improving learning outcomes while maintaining performance standards. Future research should explore the long-term effects of these technologies on mental and physical health, particularly across different age groups, and investigate their safe integration into diverse professional settings. This includes expanding participant diversity and assessing broader applications to maximize their practical benefits.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105009216962
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=105009216962&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-77723-3_3
DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-77723-3_3
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:105009216962
T3 - Lecture Notes in Production Engineering
SP - 27
EP - 38
BT - Lecture Notes in Production Engineering
PB - Springer Nature
ER -
