Virtual Reality — Blog Post 3
I think that the area where augmented reality will play a big part for organisations will be in visualising something before actually building it. This Forbes article indicates that businesses will be able to prototype like they have never done before. From the onset, the product can be displayed in a virtual environment so that the organisation can decide if the product is worth pursuing or not. Decision makers and other stakeholders can be engaged very early in the process. This will allow the organisation to have a much more holistic view of the product rather than just looking at a prototype to decide if the product is worth pursuing or not.
Not just organisations, but also consumers will benefit from virtual reality. For example, from the research that was done by Ikea, they found out that 70% of the customers did not know how big their houses were and 33% were unsure if they obtained the measurements correctly. Ikea offers an app called Ikea catalogue app which allows customers to see how selected furniture looks in their room before considering purchasing it. This Ikea app has been downloaded by 8.5 million users. This indicates the popularity of such a feature.
So if you like a couch, but you are not sure whether it will go with the décor of your existing furniture, this app will save you the trouble of trying to imagine and think if it is the right fit.
Cimagine Media is an organisation that provides an augmented reality platform to personalise the shopping experience. They also claim that early adopters of augmented reality can see a 20% increase in sales.
VR is also having an impact in the world of fashion. Dior and Balenciaga have streamed their upcoming collections in 360 degrees using VR. Dior has in fact launched Dior Glasses which don’t look more fashionable than traditional VR glasses. An organisation called Facecake allows customers to try apparel, cosmetics, jewellery etc. to see how those products meet their requirements, before purchasing a product.
International courier company DHL, ran a pilot program for 3 weeks in one of their warehouses. Staff members were provided with head mounted displays which showed information related to the task, including aisle and product location. After the pilot was completed DHL found out that they were able to improve the picking process by 25 percent which is a significant improvement. DHL is looking at ways to make augmented reality economically feasible and will be collaborating with further partners.
VR has not just commercial application, but it also has social application. The United Nations has created immersive virtual reality experiences to showcase it in the hopes of improving peoples’ lives. The ones created so far range from the life of a 12 year old Syrian refugee( Clouds Over Sidra) living in Jordan to Liberia which is in the middle of an Ebola epidemic (Waves of Grace) . The UN initially estimated to collect 2.2 billion USD for the ‘Clouds over Sidra’ campaign, but after showcasing this VR experience, they ended up raising 3.8 billion USD. This seems to be a very powerful tool to use and the donors get to see the plight and they will be aware that their money is being put to good use.
