Today Digital Transformation has entered our life and we have subconsciously using it also in day to day life.Virtual Reality technology has evolved dramatically in the past few years the costs of VR devices has gone down so it is all set to hit mainstream markets soon. While gaming applications like Pokemon Go have attracted most of the attention, there are many other use cases that could have a much larger impact on our lives.
Google Cardboard is a super low-cost headset ($15) to which a compatible, VR enabled mobile phone is attached to deliver the VR experience. Other commercial product is Oculus Rift gear which has becomeextremely popular in gaming & business equally.
Here are some great VR use cases:
- VR for Tourism: do you want to sit on your couch and climb up the Eiffel tower? Or walk on the glass horse shoe at grand canyon? Wild Within is VR app available for experience of travel through rain forest in Canada. Travelers around the world are able to experience a helicopter flight around New York City or a boat ride around the Statue of Liberty.
- VR for Education: Over last decade eLearning had picked up very much. But it could not deliver hands on experience which is now possible with VR technology. Technicians can actually learn the real life examples and do their bit to solve the problems on the shop floor. Medical students can actually perform surgeries allowing them to make mistakes without any impact on actual patients.
- VR for Sales: Traditionally automakers have the showroom to show the cars to the customers and explain their features and sometimes a test drive is also possible. But customization of how the interior will look as per their choice was not possible which now can be done via VR. Audi is experimenting this in London, where customer can configure their Audi with accessories as they want and drive virtually in real time.
- VR in Gaming: who does not know the excitement Pokemon Go had created and reached 50 million users in record time of 22 days. Using AR/VR technology games have changed the life of seniors as well as teens. Game of Thrones has capitalized on VR and gone viral in various countries.
- VR in Designing: product designing is tedious task and changes to products based on the competition or customization is time consuming. This is where VR helps designers. They can now create the products easily, configure all the features and test them out. It is more popular in construction of buildings to see how the interior will look like.
- VR in Marketing: With Digital Marketing ads are becoming more intrusive. The best marketing campaigns use VR to create successful campaigns as users get completely immersed into the content, and create memorable experiences. Coca Cola created a virtual reality sleigh ride. New York times releases multiple immersive documentaries in their app. Finnair is showing their Airbus 350 via VR to attract more customers.
- VR in Sports coaching: The potential for VR in sports in endless. You get all the benefits of real-world interaction, but in a controlled environment. Showing is so much more effective than explaining, and experiencing something first-hand is that much more powerful again. Football, Cricket.
Virtual reality technology holds enormous potential to change the future for a number of fields, from medicine, business, and architecture to manufacturing. We are on the roller coaster ride !!
