Improving organisational performance using VR and AI
by Startacus Admin
BODYSWAPS use VR and AI to help companies empower their employees to become the best versions of themselves...
If you work in a human resources or learning & development department, you will know how important it is to have the right attitude and say the right things. People come to you as the solution to their problems. Chances are, if they come to you, they won’t have anywhere else to go if their issue is handled poorly. It will come as a surprise to few that the solution to developing skills in these areas and more is virtual reality and artificial intelligence. 
London-based Somewhere Else is taking on this challenge with it’s VR and AI powered BODYSWAPS, with their stated aim of supporting L&D and HR leaders to empower their employees to become the best versions of themselves, faster and safely, improving organisational performance, fostering a better company culture, and delivering tangible operational value.
BODYSWAPS is simple to use: just put on the headset, pick up the controllers, and run through a brief calibration. Then it’s time to meet the new you, read up on the scenario you are in, and bring in your virtual, AI-powered colleague to talk to.
Answer them as you would a real person, with the same attitude and hand gestures that you would in real life, and after switching positions to see your answer from their perspective, you will be presented with behavioral 
and semantics analytics and get personalised tips on how to improve in future - more energy in your attitude, less pointing and throwing your mug at people.
Although the platform uses AI, the ‘people’ you talk to are voiced by professional actors using SME-written scripts to better immerse you in the realism. This is vital, as training doesn’t just cover employees unhappy about having to sit next to Steve and his cheese sandwiches; the technology is deployable for areas such as performance management, intercultural competence, and sexual harassment. Existing case studies include a training situation for nurses on taking care of a patient with suicidal thoughts.
In May, Somewhere Else pitched BODYSWAPS at the Automation Summit in Paris, and was winner of the ISG Startup Challenge, voted for by 57% of the audience. Just a month before that, they pitched for the Future Workplace Summit's Start-up Challenge, and won that too. And it’s not surprising, as BODYSWAPS is an important tool for improving skills in important roles, and we think these will just be the beginning!
BODYSWAPS
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Published on: 4th August 2019
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