VR is opening a range of doors when it comes to industry
All three of virtual, augmented and mixed reality find themselves playing a role in industry. One of the benefits of VR is that it allows engineers to see a finished product before it is built, such as a car. While they can study the car in 3D and see how it looks and functions, customers can be given a virtual tour of the vehicle without setting foot in it. Another use for VR is training. Companies like STRIVR use VR to put a learner into an immersive environment, meaning they can learn by doing. Other companies like NASA use VR to train astronauts, letting them feel their way around the exterior of the ISS without being there. Augmented reality, meanwhile, can be used in places like warehouses, allowing workers to easily locate objects and packages with the help of smart glasses. Learning how a machine works can also be much easier in AR, with users able to see where different components go or how it fits together, and mixed reality could take this to another level. Using devices like Microsoft’s Hololens, workers can perform tasks like spotting cracks in bridges without actually being there. MR can also be used to let people step inside new constructions and see the building process taking place, even making suggestions or alterations based on what they can see or feel. Some more novel applications include being able to go shopping and try on clothes without needing to be in the store in the first place.
“With AR you can see where different components go or how a machine fits together”