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The impact of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

One of the hottest tech trends hitting the market right now is the one concerning Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Many of us only relate these new technologies to different sorts of video games where it has had its major breakthrough. But the fact is, that these technologies are far more useful than that – and some of your competitors are probably already using it.

AR and VR explained

Let us break it down for you by first describing the Augmented Reality (AR) technology. It is a visual technique which uses live video that is later enhanced by computer-generated graphics. For example, AR can be a video where you see nameplates over the heads of everyone participating.

The Virtual Reality (VR) technology is also a visual technique, but it differs quite a bit from AR. VR does not only enhance what you see but it creates a totally artificial environment which is set to stimulate your physical presence and interaction with others. The technique has mainly hit the gaming market, but there are other markets where it may be useful.

How it is being used now

For instance, VR is right now being used to teach machine operators how to handle expensive machines to minimize the risks. It is also used while training how to navigate in environments that can be dangerous for human beings.

Another usable area for the technologies is in product development. HTC has a software called Gravity Sketch VR which combined with their VR-headset Vive allows you to design prototypes with your hands in an artificial environment. As a suggestion, you can simply take a fabric of your choice and apply it to a shoe which can be seen in the video example below:

How Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can be useful for your company

You have probably seen several sci-fi movies which show virtual desktops where the actors simply drag things out from the screen and place it somewhere else in the room. While seeing this you might also have thought about how far this is from the present computer use.

But truth is, that there are already several types of virtual desktops available on the market. In comparison to the ordinary computers, we use today, using these virtual desktops you are not restricted to the size of the screen your monitor offers. Instead, you are provided with 3D environments with an unlimited canvas size – which can also be shared by others.

Imagine having the ability to visualize the construction area you are working with together with your colleagues from the other side of the world. From there you can all test where to place your buildings and components in this artificial environment. Sounds pretty smooth, right?

Companies within warehousing, logistics and plain physical stores also have big opportunities using VR in the future. The user can be chilling at home while in the artificial world been running around in either a warehouse or the supermarket. In the artificial environment, the user has the ability to collect all product details just by clicking on it – before making a decision whether the product is useful or not. The video demonstration below shows how a VR shopping experience can look like.

For now, the main requirement for being able to do all this is to use a VR headset as seen in the video above, but who knows what the future holds.

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