HP Innovation Journal Issue 04: Fall 2016

technology can help people feel more re- silient in their lives. We all crave a sense of purpose, connec- tion with other peo- ple who matter most to us, and feelings of control over what happens in our lives. Explorations in this area of focus have emphasized min- imal interactions Exploring some kinetic jewelry concepts through sketching and prototyping that drive maximum anyone with a phone can chat with a Slack bot emotional impact and order food from Taco Bell, for example. and value for people in the real world. Early But the members of the Immersive results are extremely promising, and point Experiences Lab wanted to look beyond or- to future experiences that might involve dering tacos and consider what it means to new ways to use printers and supplies that shift from “device” to “contact.” In the print drive stronger emotional connections among world, that shift could help people have friends and family members. timely, useful interactions with their print- The final area of focus is “Advancing ers. The Lab recently studied how people Blended Reality Experiences,” which includes might interact with their printers using text research into augmented and virtual reality messages as a more conversational way to (VR). As HP begins offering untethered ex- connect. As Mithra points out, “We knew we periences with VR content, the Immersive were onto something when HP released the Experiences Lab has looked at ways to extend HP Print Bot while we were in the middle of the value of products like the Omen X VR PC our own study!” Pack. Original studies continue to generate The connection between labs and busi- valuable insights that the lab can bring back ness units is extremely important, which is to business stakeholders, who recognize the why the Lab presented their research on this significant benefits that can be drawn from topic to the Pilots and Incubations team within these insights. the HP Print business unit. A member of that All of these threads come together be- team produced the HP Print Bot, which is built cause the lab members have a knack for on top of Facebook Messenger. As their work in this area pro- ceeds, the Immersive Experiences Lab con- tinues to explore ways to collaborate on important future research topics. The second area of focus within the lab is “Authentic User Experiences.” P ro j e c t s i n t h i s area explore how The Immersive Experience Lab explores human relationships and connections spotting and hiring top talent and eager col- laborators. With a team of diverse, talented people as well as top-flight interns from around the world, the lab is working hard to drive real results that matter to the rest of HP. Inventing the future of experience So what’s next for the Immersive Experiences Lab? Without revealing too much right now, it is safe to say the future is a fascinating playground for radical explorations. Future editions of this journal will showcase exciting projects and innovations from the Immersive Experiences Lab as its members tread that “wacky edge” between what is technically possible and what is actually helpful to real people. As we look back at 50 years of HP Labs, it is important to emphasize the continued relevance and value of HP’s investment in HP Labs. Not long ago, Labs inventions such as LED and the pocket-sized calculator seemed like pure science fiction. HP clearly depends on Labs to help invent the future, which means the members of HP Labs continue to share research results and insights with busi- ness owners and stakeholders. HP needs to address the markets of today as well as the markets of the future. The internal partner- ships between HP Labs and business owners are crucial to the success of HP, and to the continued relevance of HP Labs as a potent driver of applied innovation.  To learn more visit: http://bit.ly/ij4_immExp  Mirjana Spasojevic is Head of Immersive Experiences Lab at HP. She is a rec- ognized expert in Human-Computer Interaction and Ubicomp, and has a PhD in Computer Science from Penn State University. Alexander Thayer is Senior Manager of the Immersive Experiences Lab at HP. He has a PhD in Human Centered Design & Engineering from the University of Washington, and is a 20-year veteran of the tech industry. Issue 4 · Fall 2016 · Innovation Journal 15

HP Innovation Journal Issue 04: Fall 2016 | Page 15