6 ways of using AR & VR for Businesses

Virtual and augmented reality is set to interrupt the digital workplace. It will not happen immediately, but it is expected to occur in the medium term, and many observers suggest that it will take three to five years before the full impact is felt. That said, several industries are already starting to use technology to improve productivity and make better use of content.

Proponents predict that virtual reality meetings will replace video conferences in the near future for cutting-edge companies with remote personnel. Some companies with a high dependence on remote personnel are already using video as the key driver to scale their reporting operations. Virtual reality will take it a step further. Instead of looking at people on a screen, users can “sit” at the table with office employees using VR.

However, we are still at an early stage of software development and best practices are still being developed. One tip Heide Abelli, senior vice president of content product management for Skillsoft, based in Nashua, NH, which he previously shared with CMSWire, was the importance of creating high-quality content made specifically for VR and AR. The entertainment industry is having the greatest success with this, specifically in the videogames sector.

The quality VR training content has been developed for industrial sectors such as retail, real estate, the military, and medical care, and in most cases, it focuses on highly specific use cases. Here are six of those areas.

1. Human-machine interfaces

Instead of replacing humans with machines, augmented reality provides a new way to improve the way machines and humans work together. Augmented reality can improve design speeds and reduce the amount of time it takes for a product to reach the market by eliminating the need for a physical prototype.

It also improves security and compliance efforts. For example, it can be used with headphones or to improve phones or tablets. It can equip employees with advanced features such as X-ray vision, heat detection capabilities and faster access to experts.

2. Enhanced communications

Nigel Davies is the founder and CEO of Claromentis, a digital workplace development specialist based in Brighton, England. He said that the true impact of VR and AR technology is how it solves one of the biggest drawbacks of a digital workplace: presence.

“The messaging is fine, but it lacks the real connection you can get when talking to someone in person. Virtual reality can give a genuine presence to remote workers by giving them physical representation in meetings with their peers, ”he said. “It is known that VR and AR create immersive experiences that can overcome any video call. It can be the final piece of the puzzle to create a truly digital workplace with happy and committed employees. “

3. Safety training

Virtual reality has even gained ground in the factory, according to Tom Wilkerson, founder of the online forklift and VR forklift training firm CertifyMe.net. He said that virtual reality makes it possible to offer practical experience without any risk to the safety or equipment of workers, which leads to savings in time and money spent on in-person education, repairs, insurance claims and responsibilities.

Unlike conventional training, virtual reality offers an active experience that allows the user to manipulate the environment in front of them and perform certain activities. When learning a new task involves too much risk, as in the operation of the equipment, virtual reality can provide practical training that students need less inherent dangers.

4. 3-D Design

Overland Partners, an architecture firm based in San Antonio, now uses augmented reality and virtual reality as part of its design process. According to a statement from the company, designers can quickly create models and display them in VR to understand the size of a room and make early changes.

Design reviews are now frequently done in VR, the main designer of the VR headset and the rest of the team watching what they see on the monitor. They can be in a virtual space while checking what is in the working drawings.

5. Improved manufacturing

Splunk’s chief technology officer, Tim Tully, said games have been the most popular area for virtual reality and virtual reality experiences to date, but this will change rapidly. IoT, manufacturing and supply chain management are logical areas for AR to affect user experience and results immediately. A warehouse plant manager or mechanical technician can scan a QR code or an NFC tag that connects them to health control panels and overlays real-time indicators on real-world objects. Technicians can work with health and performance statistics in real-time, ensuring optimal functionality and efficiency while minimizing machine downtime.

6. Virtual trips

For Taylor Short, senior content analyst at Software Advice, based in Austin, Texas, virtual reality is just beginning. He said virtual reality is reaching the mainstream. The world’s largest electronics companies are driving virtual reality as an essential capability on their iPhone, desktop or PlayStation 4. When everyone has affordable and powerful VR headsets in five years, brands will follow consumers.

Cite hospitality companies as an example. Hotels have a great opportunity to showrooms, hallways or outdoor services with virtual reality. Marriott was one of the first to use VR headsets to transport brides to the streets of London or a honeymoon on the Hawaiian beach, to encourage reservations so they can experience reality.

Augmented reality has already had a phenomenal (although short-lived) success in Pokémon Go. The game encouraged players to go outside and capture monsters that overlapped in the real world when viewed through the camera of a smartphone, reaching its maximum popularity during the summer of 2016.

Several hotels launched campaigns to bring Pokémon hunters to their properties, which helped increase food and beverage sales, as well as direct bookings. AR could also be used in hotel applications to offer an improved view of the property by highlighting the spa or bar or local attractions while the guest explores the area.