Kiosk Mode: The Foolproof VR Experience
With many features to optimize users’ VR viewing experience, Expo’s Kiosk Mode is arguable the most foolproof tool we have in the box.
Kiosk mode offers a completely hands-off experience for the organizers, where the viewers do not need a controller or much help from an attendant. There are two settings:
No-menu playlist mode
This mode is optimal for one experience or a playlist of videos shown in a particular order. All menus are removed so as soon as you put the headset on, the first video in the playlist will automatically play without having to press any buttons. The next videos will continue to play once the previous finishes. In order to reset the playlist, simply take the headset off for more than 5 seconds. Then the app is prepped with fresh experience for the next person.
Gaze-based Kiosk menu
This kiosk mode shows all of your content on a grid menu, but without needing a remote. Simply look at the thumbnail of the video you want to watch and wait a few seconds for the thumbnail to fill up, then it magically starts playing. Once you take off the headset for more than 5 seconds, the app resets back to the kiosk menu, ready for the next person to view.
How Is Kiosk Mode a Foolproof Tool?
When using Kiosk mode, VR headsets will dedicate themselves to run the Expo app without a remote or controller, as soon as you put the headset on. This prevents users from exiting the app by accident or getting lost in Home environments.
Below are some examples of how Kiosk mode simplifies VR experiences:
Film Festivals
Showcasing VR at festivals might seem a little daunting. You have to consider the numbers of headsets that are in use, and how many attendants you need to help users through the viewing experience. Eliminate all those concerns with Kiosk mode. Your viewers can simply walk up to a booth or chair and put the headset on to the experience. Once they’re finished watching the experience, the app resets for the next person in line.
Immersive Museum Exhibits
Using Expo makes it simple to set up a one-off or permanent immersive museum exhibit. While most museums already use PC or tablet-powered kiosks to display information on-demand, Expo makes it easy for curators to create immersive kiosks to teleport their guests on-demand. You can set up a permanent station where guests can simply sit down, put a headset on, and have an experience play automatically. Once they are finished watching, the next person can walk up at their leisure to watch from the beginning.
Virtual Tours
With virtual presentation centres, automotive showrooms, and architectural visualizations, Kiosk offers a foolproof viewing experience for your clients. Get your users immersed as soon as they put their headset on, without having to deal with complicated user interfaces. Whether it’s being behind the wheel, walking through historic spaces, or exploring a new home, Kiosk mode gets your client into the experience as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Immersive Classroom Lessons
Use Kiosk Mode to load your lesson plan onto Expo or change the lesson plan on a day to day basis for your students. Optimize students’ learning experience by controlling the lessons that students have access to. Videos can progress in a playlist, or students can choose particular videos by simply gazing at the thumbnail.
How to Setup VR Kiosk Mode
- Download Expo on your headsets
- Log in with your PIN (found on your dashboard)
- Go to Kiosk tab
- Download all of your content
- Show it off to your audience, clients, etc.
Kiosk mode is an essential tool in ensuring a simple user experience. You never know who the next user that walks up to the headset may be. They could be very comfortable with virtual reality, or this could be their first time putting on a headset.
Take away the remote and simplify the user experience with Kiosk mode.
About Contraverse
Contraverse is a Canadian Academy Award-nominated Virtual Reality production and distribution company. Contraverse produces original VR and 360 video content, branded experiences, and delivers content on all available VR and mobile devices through the Contraverse streaming platform. Contraverse sets up, manages and consults on VR cinema events and expos with a team of expert staff and high-quality virtual reality equipment.
Expo is a platform by Contraverse for seamlessly exhibiting 360 video content to large audiences with ease, including kiosk and synchronized VR cinema modes.
Originally published at https://expo.contraverse.co on April 22, 2020.
