Is virtual reality finally ready for commercial use?
Virtual reality (VR), one of the technologies that seems to have been waiting for, is finally ready for the golden age of commerce. There are several new products that can check out Samsung, HTC and even Google. Companies like Word Viz and giant spoons help generate content. Although the initial use may have more to do with first-person shooting or Hollywood movies, commercial uses are beginning to emerge.
One possibility is for car dealers to provide VR tours for new cars and real estate agents to provide family tours, said Edwin Rogers, a virtual reality expert. He uses Samsung Gear VR headphones to show a 360-degree view of a location in the virtual world. When you turn your head, the scene changes in real time. Looking up at the ceiling, you can count the tiles in the ceiling.
"VR technology is still in its infancy and has not yet been used on a large scale. This is the most meaningful smartphone solution for VR," he said.
WorldViz, the company that makes VR software, says customers have saved about 90 per cent of their costs and used it to make real physical models. For example, a medical institution may build a new clinic before the construction of the VR and see a floor plan among 360-degree viewers, which will help them adjust their design and reduce costs. According to a representative of the company, a real customer, Lockheed Martin, told CIO.com that they had saved millions of dollars in production by simulating motion capture of spacecraft and satellites.
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"Virtual reality technology allows users to walk naturally in a complete operating room and change the design when a button is clicked," said Peter Schlueer, president of WorldViz. "decision makers, stakeholders, designers, surgeons and nurses can experience the design together and make lasting decisions. In other words, information can be shared earlier and more effectively, resulting in better decisions and faster processes."
