Digital Science Concepts: Protovision the laboratory of the future

Picture this. You’re waiting to find out if your abstract was accepted for that conference you really want to attend, but you’re stuck at the bench finishing an experiment. You need to get something from the -80°C freezer but you can’t quite remember which box it’s in. Your PI is out of the office and you’ve been trying to get hold of him for two days to discuss some results. He finally calls you back. You miss the call, because you’re still stuck at the bench finishing that experiment.

If you’ve spent time working in a laboratory, then these scenarios will be familiar to you, but in the laboratory of the future all of these tasks could be alleviated by better use of technology.

Digital Science Concepts showcases our thinking on how technology might shape the laboratory of the future. These are products that are not currently under development but one day they might be commonplace in laboratories…who knows?

In the video above, the second in the Digital Science Concepts series, we take a look at how voice and gesture activated video augmented glasses might enhance the way we work at the bench. Such technology could allow scientists to view a protocol, check availability of reagents, book equipment, check the status of equipment in use, as well as checking email and video calling colleagues – all from your bench.

If you are a scientist, would you find this sort of technology helpful? What technology would make your work life easier? How do you see the lab of the future? Join the conversation on #DSconcepts and let us know your future lab wish-list.