How Mixed Reality is Changing Multiple Industries
At Fuelled, we have a number of exciting clients within the mixed realities sector who are contributing to the digital makeover within several industries including manufacturing, gaming, fitness, marketing, education and healthcare. Mixed reality is the result of merging the physical world with a virtual world to create new environments where the physical and digital objects interact with one another in real-time.
Healthcare
Augmented and virtual reality is used in healthcare facilities across the world, for applications that include surgical visualisation and education. Augmented Reality solutions can significantly improve the overall patient experience and make it less problematic by adding pop-up information and navigating features among other things.
Our client, Givevision, is a fascinating example of how AR and VR is helping to advance the medical technology sector. Their wearable low vision aid helps to transform the lives of people with visual impairments by simulating human vision. It does this by using a camera to process any incoming images and then projecting the augmented feed onto the working part of a patient’s retina.
Education
Not only is VR being used in medical training simulation, but there’s a large opportunity to use mixed reality technology in schools and other educational applications, such as training for new jobs. The influx of EdTech tools are changing classrooms in a variety of ways, and their importance has been heightened by remote learning throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. 92% of teachers believe tech is going to have a major impact on the way they educate in the near future and for that reason, it’s important to understand the benefits EdTech brings in the form of increased collaboration, communication and overall quality of education.
Check out the amazing work Virti are doing to transform education in the healthcare sector!
Manufacturing
Mixed reality is changing the future of construction by taking data captured by IoT and AI systems and helping workers visualise it in real time on the job.
Not only can VR simulators be used to train new workers where they can get a feel for equipment that they’ll be using every day, but AR can be used to let workers share what they can see with an off-site expert, effectively allowing the experts to be in multiple places at once. This means workers in the field can get live guidance from technicians who are greater equipped to identify any problems. XYZ Reality helps solve the significant inefficiencies caused by 3D buildings being converted into 2D drawings with their Augmented Reality device, HoloSite, that allows construction workers to view Building Information Models on-site to 5 millimetre accuracy. The product aids the feedback loop between site and design by 92% as construction workers are now able to make real-time informed decisions in the field:
“2D is an unnatural language for humans; we see everything in 3D, yet tradespeople are being asked to interpret 2D drawings, conceptualise the 3D asset and then build the asset on-site to within construction “tolerances”. Works are currently validated after the fact through laser scanning. 80% of the time the construction fails to meet acceptable tolerances. With HoloSite, we can prevent errors happening in the first place” David Mitchell, founder, CEO and builder
Gaming
The gaming industry has displayed fast growth in recent years, with AR and VR bringing a revolution in the gaming world.
Virtual reality in gaming allows users to be immersed into an artificial world, instead of viewing it on a screen. It stimulates all senses such as touch, hearing, vision and smell. Augmented reality is the integration of game visual and audio content with a user environment in real time, so it provides a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are augmented.
A great example of this is Pokémon GO, one of the most successful mobile games of all time where users could interact in the real world to find virtual Pokemon’s. Thanks to it’s success, it has certainly influenced the design of future AR experiences, and has shown how AR in gaming could have a broader impact on society through its potential health benefits.
Health and Fitness
Following on from above, AR and VR can help users become more active and make exercise more engaging by being immersed in a completely new environment, and allowing you to interact with objects that are not actually there. AR and VR can easily improve user experience and journey. A great example of this is our client, FitXR, who build immersive exercise and fitness VR games, such as BOXVR which fits into a real fitness boxing workout routine. This means users can now be provided with data like calories burnt, kilometres travelled (e.g. for runners or cyclists) and heart rate. This real-time data visualisation helps users see their progress and can be a huge motivator for them to keep going and hit targets.
Marketing
AR and VR are disrupting the marketing industry to promote products and services.
Many brands are now using AR to allow consumers to try products before they buy them, which has been particularly popular within the cosmetics industry. While shopping, you can also get extra information about products just by scanning the product tag with a smart phone. AR is relatively more effective as it involves lower costs and helps customers in making shopping decisions while engaged with the content.
Using VR technology, retailers can create simulated experiences to capture the curiosity of shoppers and share their brand story with them. The technology helps them stand out from the competition, attract more customers and boost sales. VR is also effectively used by estate agents to design virtual tours, providing a 360 degree walk through of the property.
Thomas Cook worked with Visualise to become the first travel company to deliver in-store VR to customers. They provided potential vacationers the opportunity to explore a series of virtual holidays through Samsung Gear VR. They created Try Before You Fly, 360-degree VR films showcasing available holidaying opportunities. They even made travellers experience helicopter tours for such sites as Egyptian pyramids. Thomas Cook saw an increase conversion rate for bookings made after viewing the VR content, and there was a 190% uplift in New York excursions bookings after people tried the 5 minute version of the holiday in VR.
Thanks for reading!
