Top 10 Most Valuable applications of VR/AR technology
With the development of the digital industry, VR/AR technology is no longer only applied in entertainment and games and other more C-end fields, but vertical application TO B, especially in the industrial field, is becoming a new tuyere. The unique nature of VR/AR technology is not restricted by the region, which allows employees to conduct simulation training in low-cost and risk-free hands-on operation. Different industries are trying to introduce VR/AR technology to improve employee training processes, improve internal work efficiency and improve customer service satisfaction.
What are the applications of VR/AR technology in different industries? Top 10 Most Valuable applications of VR/AR technology
- Surgical training
In traditional surgical training, due to the scarcity of dissecting specimens, usually dozens or even dozens of people share one dissecting specimen for training and practice, which greatly affects the teaching quality.
The virtual 3D model provided by VR/AR technology, with its portability, ease of use and ready to operate and practice, provides new possibilities for surgical training. According to a randomized study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, surgical training using VR technology (VR surgical training platform provided by Osso), compared with traditional teaching, surgical completion speed is 20% faster and surgical completion rate is 38% higher.
- Immersive psychotherapy
The traditional treatment of mental illness is usually guided communication and medication to relieve the patient’s psychological stress. But most psychopaths spend most of their time alone and are resistant to human contact. VR/AR technology can help patients improve their psychological condition in the virtual world interaction, and can shape various scenarios, so that patients can enter the situation faster, doctors can grasp the condition faster, and better and faster symptomatic treatment.
For example, in the treatment of social anxiety disorder, one of the commonly used traditional treatments requires guiding patients to imagine the scene on their own. This subjective approach is not very effective because it is uncontrollable. VR/AR technology allows patients to walk into the virtual scene set by doctors and overcome their psychological barriers in the virtual world.
The same kind of therapy can be used for PTSD patients, who can be more relaxed through the natural scenes provided by VR/AR technology. It has been found to reduce stress levels in PTSD patients by about 20 percent.
- Real experience viewing
In traditional house viewing, potential buyers often need to go through a long and complex process of research and visiting the house, and sellers or intermediaries often have to coordinate with the buyer’s time to see the house, resulting in more trouble for both buyers and sellers.
Through VR/AR technology to achieve digital transformation, to help buyers and sellers more efficient and easier to complete the transaction. VR/AR real estate viewing has the advantages of replacing traditional marketing methods. Buyers and sellers do not need to coordinate time, and customers can carry out virtual viewing at any time. Due to no geographical restrictions, real estate sale is no longer limited to local customers, and buyers around the world can visit real estate. Significantly increase the return on investment.
- Technical staff skills training
It takes a long time of training and constant practice for an ordinary employee to become a skilled employee. Due to the difficulty and slow learning progress, and more and more old employees approaching retirement age, the shortage of skilled professional employees has become an urgent problem to be solved by many enterprises.
The online training platform provided by Interplay Learning uses VR technology and 3D simulation technology to train employees more efficiently. The vivid images are easy to understand, and the training staff can learn more quickly and improve the training efficiency.
- Heavy machinery operation training
The traditional heavy machinery operation training is the real machine exercise, which requires the trainees to go to the operation site of the equipment, get on the cockpit of the equipment in person, and conduct simulation training under various working conditions accompanied by professional trainers. This requires extremely high investment in training equipment, training personnel and training site, resulting in high training difficulty, low training efficiency and long training cycle.
The combination of AR technology and heavy machinery solves the difficult problem of traditional heavy machinery operation training. DataMesh, a company providing digital twin solutions, provides equipment simulation operation training/examination platform for a heavy machinery manufacturing enterprise. It uses AR technology, mechanical simulation technology and digital twin technology to conduct dynamic operation simulation of heavy machinery. It is estimated that the training cost of excavator and rotary drilling rig can be reduced by 46%. Shorten the training cycle by about two weeks.
- Oil and Gas industry training
In oil and gas companies, hands-on training is often required on site and on RIGS. Not only is it time-consuming and costly, especially for relatively remote oil and gas drilling areas, but it can be extremely dangerous for inexperienced people.
A company called Jasoren offers an oil and gas VR training program. By introducing VR technology, employees can perform in multiple virtual scenarios, reducing the company’s training costs, reducing damage caused by improper equipment operation, and reducing the occurrence of hazards. In addition, dangerous scenes can be simulated for practice (such as chemical explosion, fire and other scenes that are difficult to replicate in real environment), and the decision-making ability of training personnel in high-pressure environment can be improved through scene drills.
- Car maintenance
There are few specialists in automotive repair and it is difficult to move quickly, leaving them limited to a relatively fixed or narrow range of repair sites. The application of AR technology in automobile maintenance can allow auto repair experts to quickly obtain vehicle fault information and real-time remote support, maximize the use of expert skills, so as to reduce maintenance time, improve maintenance efficiency, improve customer satisfaction.
TIS 2.0 platform developed by BMW provides online support and assistance. With TSARAVision smart glasses, technicians in the service center can directly contact experts through hands-free video, thus solving problems faster and more efficiently. The expert can project technical instructions and diagrams onto the eyeglass display of the field technician, and can also take screen shots and enlarge images to give further instructions based on the field situation. BMW estimates that the platform offers 70 to 75 percent faster repairs than in the past.
- Service industry training
Service industry personnel usually need to be trained before they start their jobs. Due to unskilled business and uncertainty of real scenarios, when facing customers who are not so patient, their service attitude is likely to be greatly compromised due to the increased pressure. In the long run, it is more likely to cause a vicious circle, resulting in brain drain and an increase in enterprise training costs. AR technology is used to conduct high-pressure drills in simulated service scenarios, and various unexpected situations can be set by itself. On the one hand, it can help service personnel to get familiar with the business faster and better, on the other hand, it can help them better cope with possible emergencies in the future, help service personnel to be competent for their work, and reduce the loss of enterprise talents.
- Military training
AR military exercises are less costly and safer than traditional military exercises, with no risk of death or injury.
In the case of “flight drills”, the most expensive investment in military training, a single aircraft can cost millions or even tens of millions of dollars, and proficiency can take a long time to achieve with limited use. The flight simulator provided by AR technology can carry out repeated drills and add dangerous elements in the training scene, such as a flock of birds flying in front of the plane, engine failure and so on. Through the simulation scene, flight skills can be mastered more quickly and unexpected events can be simulated to deal with, with higher returns compared with real drills.
In addition, there are battlefield combat simulation, explosive dangerous objects disposal, battlefield medical response simulation, through the simulation of a variety of high risk, strong destructive and extreme conditions, not only to ensure safety, but also to achieve significant training effects.
- Teach through fun
The application of VR/AR technology in teaching can combine education with entertainment, making traditional courses more attractive. It can provide students with information related to teaching topics and make difficult knowledge points easier to understand, such as personal profiles, interesting facts, relevant historical data, and visual 3D models, which greatly expand students’ knowledge. Increase participation, interest and interactivity, improve the learning effect. The integration of AR into the math curriculum at the Leria Institute of Technology has been well received by students. AR makes the math curriculum easy and fun.