Plantronics has made quite a name for itself over the years with its array of headsets and communications accessories for everything from military use to gaming (the latest for gamers is the Rig headset). However, that isn’t stopping Plantronics from seeing what it can do next to advance into new technology.
CTO Joe Burton states that the company needs to “shift to mobility…(and) away from normal phones.” It’s been doing so through a number of experiments, with headsets that feature built-in sensors similar to those in smartphones and Google Glass. Experiments are under way conducted by PLT Labs, a multidisiplinary team within Plantronics tasked with creating conceptual hardware and software.
Some of these headsets are already in active testing, including Cisco’s call center. Using a phone headset, a customer support rep can be registered as wearing it, and can be added to the call queue instantly without having to hit a button to prepare for it. The device can also indicate if the user is near a webcam, should video support be needed.
Plantronics has experimented with an Xbox to let the motions of a headset wearer leaning from side to side control a motorcycle racing game. This provides VR-like motion tracking on a gaming console from sensors on your body, instead of something like a Kinect watching you remotely. Since players are already accustomed to wearing headsets or earpieces, this coul dbe an easy way to get very precise motion tracking.
There’s no word yet when these products will see the light of day officially, but you can bet they’ll make a name for Plantronics once they’re released.
Source: All Things D
