Lights, music and cameras encourage and analyze participation, company says
TOKYO -- As workers return to the office after more than two years of virtual meetings, one company in Japan is trying to put a digital spin on in-person interaction.
Office equipment maker Ricoh's new meeting room technology, Ricoh Prism, surrounds participants with screens. Projectors in the ceiling flash what is being discussed across the walls and floor. Lighting and music are adjusted automatically based on mood.
Participants enter the room with a device that can track their location and a smartphone that can be used for voice input or as a pointer. Infrared cameras attached to the tops of the screens detect participants' movement.
The technology includes a feature that helps break the ice. Participants answer questions projected on a screen by touching them, and the results are analyzed to show personality type.
After meetings, the movement and communication data is analyzed, and the results are reported to the participants. Ricoh says that it does not receive any personal information from the video data.
The company began work on the technology in 2019 around a concept it calls "digital alcohol."
"Communication is more difficult in online meetings than in real life. We wanted to create a place for people to gather and hold meetings with a specific purpose in mind," said Haruki Murata, a member of the team that developed the technology.
Ricoh Prism will debut in January at a room available to rent in Tokyo. Fees start at 16,000 yen ($116) per hour, and up to four people can participate. The system can also be rented for use at a company's office for 100,000 yen per month.
