Today, the impact of virtual reality on business in various fields of every organization is undeniable. Virtual reality is a new technology that is computer simulated and placed in front of the user’s eyes in a virtual environment. In virtual reality, people are placed in a 3D environment using special electronic devices such as headsets and glasses (which are equipped with sensors) and interact with the environment through head and body movements.
In fact, in a simulated environment, it is possible to feel the real experience. When a person puts a virtual reality headset on their head, they see an environment that changes based on their body position. After some time, the human mind accepts that it is in a real and three-dimensional environment. Stay with us to study the applications of virtual reality in industry and businesses.
History
Contrary to popular belief, virtual reality is not a modern phenomenon and was one of the first activities in the field of visual arts. The first activity in this area was panoramic paintings in the 18th century (circular paintings that place the viewer in the middle of the painted space). In 1833, the stereoscope device was invented, the structure of which is used in some inexpensive virtual reality devices today. In 1849, this device was updated. In 1929, the Link Trainer was invented, which was the oldest generation of current flight simulators. Using this device, during World War II, more than half a million trainees were trained as pilots in America.
In 1968, the first device based on virtual reality named “Sword of Damocles” was made, which was connected to a computer. This device did not reach the stage of mass production due to its difficult use. In the middle of 1987, a device including a stereo headset to transmit sound, a pair of glasses equipped with an LCD, and a glove to transmit hand and finger movements into the game environment was made. In 1995, Nintendo created a separate virtual reality console, which added 3D graphics to the world of computer games.
In the 21st century, investments and scientific researches were made regarding the construction and development of virtual reality headsets. These headsets were accompanied by extensive support from game makers. In the near future, we will see its wider applications and purposes.
The impact of virtual reality in business
Thinking about VR as a tool for business growth rather than as a toy can help you streamline operations, improve the employee experience, and empower your customers. Many growing businesses are using this advanced technology to gain a competitive advantage.
How does virtual reality work?
By using a simulated space, virtual reality creates an experience similar to reality in an artificial space, which causes a person to interact with that space. In fact, the data collected by human senses such as vision, hearing, etc. are processed by the brain. In virtual reality technology, artificial information is presented to the senses and the mind believes that it is in the real space.
Five ways to use virtual reality as a business tool
1. Marketing
According to the Guardian, businesses of all sizes can use virtual reality for marketing. For example, in real estate transactions, virtual reality experiences are used for marketing. Even hotels are using 360-degree VR videos to introduce themselves as part of the booking process.
2. Data management
Virtual reality has the potential to change the way data is managed for business owners. For example, there was a recent event that used virtual reality to help business owners visualize complex financial data about their companies in a hands-on and interactive way.
As VR tools become more sophisticated, they’ll make it easier to stay updated on your business performance and change the way you interact with your company’s most important data.
3. Recruitment
Business website Recuiter reports that businesses are beginning to look into how virtual reality can improve remote job interviews. Video calls often make participants uncomfortable, but interviews set in a virtual space can put participants at ease and encourage more effective conversation. This technology is also used to collect better data during the recruitment process in case studies.
4. Education
Virtual reality makes it easier for companies to accurately train their teams, especially when security is very important. For example, new recruits in an industrial sector may take a virtual hazardous waste training course that exposes them to chemicals before advanced training.
Virtual reality programs make it easy to train employees in a wide range of business skills. For example, Oculus’ VirtualSpeech experience allows users to practice public speaking in a variety of settings.
5. Customer experiences
Perhaps the most exciting impact of virtual reality is on the customer experience. According to Forbes, businesses will increasingly rely on virtual reality to sell their offerings. Thanks to this technology, customers can visit digital showrooms, interact with sales assistants and try out products and services in real life. Early examples of this are available globally. Focus on understanding the range of possibilities and investing in the technology required to make the most of virtual reality. Whether you’re training your team or providing an enhanced digital experience to customers, virtual reality can change the way you interact and run your business.
Some important applications of virtual reality technology in industries
medical
The medical industry is one of the biggest adopters of this new technology. Virtual reality simulations create accurate and correct diagnostic images from scans and 3D models of patient anatomy. Virtual models help doctors find the most effective way to locate tumors, place surgical instruments in the right place, or enable the practice and testing of complex treatments and surgeries.
Also, in dentistry, in addition to creating a virtual and simulated space of the patient’s mouth and teeth, the virtual reality educational simulator allows the learner to experience the feeling of touch and receive feedback. By using crystal stereo glasses, displays and virtual 3D images of the mouth and teeth, the learner has the opportunity to practice many times and see the results of his work immediately.
Virtual reality also has many applications in rehabilitation, for example: stroke in people often leads to motor impairment. Despite the importance of frequent and intensive rehabilitation exercises, only one-third of stroke patients perform the recommended exercises at home. Game-based rehabilitation systems have a high potential to encourage patients to continue rehabilitation exercises at home. The results of studies show that walking training using virtual reality-based training is effective in improving walking speed after stroke and leads to better results than interventions without virtual reality.
Among other applications of this technology in medicine, we can mention nursing care, pain management, molecular biology, etc. The application of virtual reality in various fields of health and treatment is increasing. In general, virtual reality in the medical field has two types of applications: interactive tools and simulation.
architecture
Another advantage of virtual reality is its use as a new tool in the field of architectural art to simulate the building before construction. So that you can visually check the suitability used in the design of the project and avoid possible errors during the design.
By using this technology, designs are provided to architects on a real scale, quickly and cheaply. A quality simulation is indistinguishable from reality. Such architects can go into their design to see the details and make the desired changes in the design at the same moment.
Computer
Over time, we have interacted and communicated with computers in various ways. First, we used punch cards to enter information into the computer. Then the keyboard, mouse, video conference and graphical user interface were added to it and finally touch screens were invented, but in the future we will see more and more human-computer interaction. The next generation of computer user interface is emerging through virtual reality.
Gesture and gesture user interface
Future user interfaces will interact with the device by moving hands and fingers and even body movements instead of tapping and touching the touch screen. This type of user interface is called Gesture Interface. With motion and gesture user interfaces, there is no need for a computer mouse, remote control devices, or even keys, because all these functions are controlled by gestures. For example, we can mention the Soli smart chip from Google, which uses interactive sensors to track sub-millimeter movements with high accuracy and speed, and works like a digital control.
Tangible user interface
The user interface combines the physical environment with the digital realm. In fact, the surface of the computer screen recognizes real objects. Microsoft’s Pixelsense technology is one of its types. This technology is similar to a large touch screen. The user works with real objects on the screen. The screen reacts to the movement of objects on the surface. With such a user interface, it becomes possible to recognize the size and shape of objects. Its ultimate goal is perfect communication between physical objects and virtual data.
Other users of virtual reality in computer science include animation and simulation in a 3D virtual graphic environment. The technique of creating large and wide 3D or 360-degree images and producing a 3D graphic environment is like visiting a museum remotely through the Internet.
