The very first form of augmented reality dates back to 1968, but the phenomenon has exploded in the last few years and there are some sectors where a lot is being invested in AR and VR: let’s discover some examples from retail to sport, passing through automotive and medicine
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are spreading as new technologies that can make the experience with the brand as immersive and engaging as possible. Today people find themselves catapulted into a reality where the boundaries between the physical and digital world are crossed and interconnected.
Giants like Facebook, Samsung, Sony and Nintendo are not the only ones to invest in AR-VR technologies, given that even the panorama of startups dedicated to this area is gradually expanding. Almost without realizing it, our scenario is taking on more and more futuristic characters despite Augmented/Virtual Reality being concepts that are more current than ever.
Not to mention the turnover they generate: according to a research by P&S Market Research, in 2017 the world market of AR and VR was valued at 6,158.5 million dollars and a CAGR of 58.1% is expected in the next years.
AR and VR in the Retail sector: the cases of Ikea and SportX
In the retail sector, augmented reality has long been finding fertile ground.
The first aspect to be emphasized is obviously the 3D visualization “as it should be” of the product: the customer can make changes and create a product perfectly in line with his own needs and tastes. The utility, obviously, lies in a greater possibility of increasing sales, but also to inform the customer in an “innovative” way regarding promotions, discounts or other purchase opportunities directly in the store.
IKEA PLACE
At the end of 2017, the Swedish giant introduced “Ikea Place”, an app that provides a catalog of over 2000 products that can be tested in the room with simple touches.
SPORTX
SportX, on the other hand, intends to create a store in which to sell high-quality sportswear, combined with a VR offer that allows users to test clothing in simulated situations. For example, a customer who wants to test ski equipment, wearing the VR simulator, will be able to try the slopes for the mountains; or simulate a climbing wall that allows people to try out the equipment, doing the climbing movements.
Juventus and Bayern Munich, AR and VR to get closer to their fans
Virtual reality in the sports sector has taken hold for years, even decades: just think of the consoles and all the eSports. Also in this sector, AR and VR have a single great purpose: to improve the customer experience of the stadium fan, from obtaining live statistics on the athletes in the field, to the use of content by the fans, from training, up to training and “recruitment” of athletes.
JUVENTUS
Juventus, in synergy with Samsung, has created “Juventus VR”, an app that allows you to experience a virtual reality experience. With Juventus VR it is possible to stand next to Cristiano Ronaldo and his companions while training at the Continassa, celebrate in the locker room after winning a great competition or live a goal as if you were behind the billboards.
BAYERN MONACO
An interesting case of AR is, instead, that of Bayern Monaco. The Bavarian company has created an app to take selfies with favorite players without getting to Munich. It was designed specifically for those who cannot physically follow their team (see supporters abroad) or simply are not a regular stadium fan.
Land Rover’s transparent hood and Volkswagen’s VR design
Another sector that has been immersing itself for a very long time in AR and VR is the automotive one. Obviously, as it is easy to understand, it is not possible for a driver to drive with a visor around the eyes. Therefore, augmented and virtual reality are installed on the windshields of cars that allow the driver to detect information useful for his journey or journey.
LAND ROVER
Land Rover has developed an interesting example of AR. It’s called “Transparent Bonnet” (transparent bonnet) and provides the driver with an unthinkable experience until a few years ago: it creates an effective vision in transparency of the ground below through the bonnet, revolutionizing driver visibility.
VOLKSWAGEN
For about a year, Volkswagen has immersed itself in the world of VR. The large Wolfsburg automotive company, at its headquarters in the Virtual Engineering Lab, has now begun to design and design new cars thanks to virtual reality: bodywork, headlights, handles, simply by tracing signs in the air. This is very useful for company engineers and designers, who can model every single detail, in a totally virtual way.
Surgery: HoloTeach and Augmedics for innovative, fast and safe surgery
HOLOTEACH
To put the surgeons in touch with each other, an Italian team, precisely from Puglia, has come up with HoloTeach which, through VR, uses Microsoft’s HoloLens technology. This VR technology allows two experts to interact and consult each other real time. The use of the viewer by those who work allows the colleague to have the same field of vision as those who intervene, as if he were at his side: moreover, both can interact during all phases of intervention.
AUGMEDICS
The Israeli company Augmedics has made great strides with the AR in the field of surgery, thanks to “XVision”. With the aid of the visor, the surgeon will be able to see the inside of the patient through the skin, like x-rays, for simpler, faster and safer operations. All through the use of a large amount of information deriving from a radiological device and a helmet equipped with special lenses capable of superimposing augmented reality on the image of the human eye.
School: Viro Media and Lenovo offer more fun and interactive lessons
In the school sector, augmented and virtual reality can give great feedback, especially for children. The aim of implementing school days with AR and VR is to make education decidedly more playful and interactive. This means that our children will be able to go beyond the theoretical description, try their hand at immersive experiences in archaeological or museum sites or even simply use books integrated with augmented reality.
VIRO MEDIA
One example is the “Figment AR” application by Viro Media: with this tool interactive, immersive and above all fun scenes are created, transforming the place where the children are in a world to be completely explored; the first thought goes, obviously, to the exploration of past historical epochs, thinking of studying the prehistory, the ancient Romans or the medieval age with the user dropped to perfection in the age to be studied.
LENOVO
Lenovo, on the other hand, will bring virtual reality into classrooms, thanks to the “Lenovo Virtual Reality Classroom”: a complete kit of tablets for the teacher, router, various software contents and the Mirage Solo, or the viewer. This technology includes various content, including more than 700 “virtual journeys” from Google Expeditions. For example, teachers can use this information during a history or geography lesson.
EXTRA
Two other interesting examples in the field of Virtual Reality are those of Sony and Lowe.
SONY and Tour de Cure for cancer research
Three Australian research teams (The Children’s Hospital, The Garvan Institute of Medial Research and a joint project between Liverpool Hospital and The MARCS Institute at Western Sydney University) received $ 520,000 to develop virtual reality tools to support cancer research.
Professor Dan Catchpoole of the Children’s Hospital of Westmead will use virtual reality to explore groups of young people suffering from cancer, focusing on their specific genetic and biological information and comparing them with each other.
Professor Sean O’Donoghue of the Garvan Institute will leverage virtual reality to create three-dimensional models and help visually represent what is happening at the molecular level within cancer tumors.
While Professor Alwin Chuan and Professor Kate Stevens of the MARCS Institute will use the funding to provide patients with virtual psychologists and cognitive therapies for pain management.
LOWE and product testing
Thanks to Holoroom Test Drive, Lowe gave the opportunity to try the products in a new “try-before-you-buy” mode.
Holoroom Test Drive is a fully immersive multisensory experience that uses tactile elements, fragrances, sounds and images to allow customers to try the Kobalt 24V battery-powered hedge trimmer in a secure virtual space.
A custom controller with realistic weight and feel makes it easy for a user to translate what he would experience in everyday life. This virtual product test greatly improves customers’ willingness to try new products, facilitates decision-making and leads to providing advice for safety and professional use.
AR and VR for customer experience and engagement
Many companies have already intercepted the potential of new technologies to make the experience as immersive and engaging as possible.
Exclusivity, customization, uniqueness: these are some of the advantages of integrating augmented and virtual reality into the broader customer experience strategies to give consumers the chance to interact with the brand in a totally new way.
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