Robots, digital materials and holographic conversations: How HP is transforming work

Since its inception, HP was founded on innovation. That spirit remains very much alive today. HP’s research and product teams continue to create new technology to improve the way organisations work together and make their everyday processes more effective. Here are just three examples of how innovation remains core to HP’s DNA.

Robotic printing

Take HP’s SitePrint, for example. Any large construction project involves mapping out life-size site layout plans onto the ground, making it clear where resources and materials go so workers and machines can move around efficiently in safety. However, this process can take skilled layout technicians most of a working day. HP’s SitePrint autonomous layout robot can do the job within an hour, working in tandem with an HP TotalStation unit that tracks its location and feeds it the necessary instructions.

With three wheels and a printhead positioned 19mm above the floor surface, SitePrint creates precise lines on any surface, enabling construction teams to create building layouts with impressive accuracy and speed. Trials with the construction firm, Skanska, rennovating New York’s Penn Station, have already proven the system’s potential. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this is going to be used on construction sites worldwide someday,” says Lisa Sanquini, Project Engineer.

Digital materials

The same focused innovation drives Z-Captis, a portable device that digitises the visual properties of materials. With its polarised photometric computer vision, Z-Captis can capture everything from internal cabin materials for the aerospace and automotive industries to coloured fabrics for fashion and interior design. Skilled work that previously involved processing multiple scans or photo captures now happens almost automatically in minutes.

Z-Captis doesn’t simply capture the surface look of the material. It uses a sophisticated 3D simulation of how it behaves in different lighting, down to opacity and reflective qualities. Wood, rock and even pebbles can be sampled with stunning accuracy and detail, using AI for HDR colour calibration, noise reduction and image enhancement.

The technology also has a studio mode to handle samples and swatches in the factory or studio, and an Explorer mode for working in the field. What’s more, it’s supported by a Capture Management SDK to aid developers and researchers, and by integration with Adobe Substance 3D Sampler, so that designers can put their new materials to work.

Holographic conversations

Sometimes innovation can help solve human or organisational issues, too. In an era of geographically-dispersed organisations and mainstream remote working, many businesses struggle to maintain cohesion and ensure all employees feel engaged. Online meetings are no substitute for one-to-one interaction, even with HD audio and video.

This is why HP and Google have collaborated on HP Starline, a new technology combining AI and 3D imaging with HP hardware to deliver a convincing and immersive experience of talking one-to-one. 3D capture technology creates a photorealistic 3D image, with real-time motion capture to track every gesture and expression. Then a revolutionary lightfield display recreates that image at another location, so that workers feel like they’re sitting in the same room as their colleague, with all the non-verbal interaction that implies.

It’s the kind of technology that feels like the stuff of sci-fi now, but that may one day become as ubiquitous as a Facetime or Google Meet chat. HP is at the cutting edge of today’s innovations becoming tomorrow’s working norms.

 Find out more about HP Starline, Z-Captis and HP SitePrint.