Digital Transformation Series. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

I have to start with this: VR is not AR. They are different, but linked.

Virtual Reality is a computer-simulated environment that gives the user the feeling of being in that environment, instead of the one he's actually in, immersing him in this "new" world, with nothing left from the real world. Simply put, it shuts out the physical world. When you are using VR, you are first spectator of the events in the digital world. Then you can interact with the virtual environment and your brain perceives the world as being real.

Virtual Reality is one of the most promising technologies when it comes to revolutionizing the mainstream markets.

In 2019, the consumer virtual reality market is estimated to reach a value of 6.2 billion U.S. dollars, according to the research made by Statista

You're probably thinking of ways to use VR to get to know your customer, to improve your sales and the customer experience. I did it, too, because VR has great potential. Here are some industries where VR is used, with great results:

Gaming. This industry is the most known one for VR. Big companies like HTC, Facebook and Sony allow you to play fascinating games, offering an intense, immersive and impressive experience to elevate gaming to a whole new level.

Traveling. Or visiting places. Would you like to look around the world on Google Maps? Or visit a museum? You can do that in VR. The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida delivers a captivating and immersive experience where visitors are able to take a journey into the artist's paintings.

Surgery. Surgeons can train to perfect their techniques, without doing it on real humans. This way, we will have better-trained surgeons. There is this example, the Surgeon Simulator ER that lets you know what it feels like to remove a tooth from a patient and many different scenarios.

Space exploration. VR media producers and studios are leveraging the power of virtual reality through immersive space tours to provide users the chance of an interstellar journey.

Teaching people to fly. Pilots are currently learning how to fly using flight simulators in VR.

Retail. VR is revolutionizing the concept of retail, allowing customers to see products in context, such as a furniture buyer previewing how a couch would look in their living room. Alibaba enables customers to virtually look around shopping centers in different countries.

You can experience Virtual Reality using a VR headset. There are four types of headsets:

1. Tethered VR Headset (High-end VR Headset), like Oculus Rift, HTC VIVE Pro and Lenovo Explorer. These headsets are connected to a computer by cables (HDMI, USB) and are much more immersive than other types of VR, thanks to the high-quality experience they can deliver.
2. Standalone VR Headsets, like Lenovo Mirage Solo, HTC VIVE Focus, Oculus Go. They are plug-and-play headsets. They have built-in processors, sensors, battery, storage memory and displays, so they don't require a connection to a PC or a smartphone. Compared to the PC headsets, they offer lower-quality graphics and lower refresh rates.
3. Smartphone VR Headsets, like Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream View2, Xiaomi MI VR Play 2. They use the smartphone to provide a VR experience. Users will simply slide their smartphones into the headset. The quality of the experience will depend on the smartphone used, the headset screen and its resolution.
4. Handheld VR Headsets, like the original Google Cardboard. They require a smartphone, but are created with low-cost materials.

Can VR really trick your brain into thinking you're in that environment? Just have a look:

But honestly. Virtual Reality has practical use cases in our real world, and I am really excited to see what this technology will add this year to the end-to-end customer journey.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality is a technology that adds layers of digital information to our physical world, without shutting it out completely. You've probably used Messenger or Snapchat filters, right? This is a form of Augmented Reality.

AR can be displayed on multiple devices: screens, glasses, handheld devices, mobile phones, head-mounted displays. To make it work, AR uses the following technologies: depth tracking (to calculate the distance between and to the objects), SLAM (localization and mapping), cameras and sensors (collects data about user's interactions), processing (CPU, GPU, Flash Memory - like a smartphone), projection (only for the AR headsets) and reflection.

There are four types of Augmented Reality. After reading the description, make sure to check the:

1. Markerless AR or Location-based AR, utilizing a GPS, compass, gyroscope and accelerometer to provide data based on the user's location. The data helps define what AR content you can find in a certain area. (business adds, navigation support Video example
2. Marker-based AR. This type of AR requires a special visual object (QR code, drawing, special signs) and a camera to scan it, turning images into 3D models. Video example
3. Projection-based AR, where the technology detects the user interaction with the light by its alterations. Video example
4. Superimposition-based AR, making use of the Object recognition, replacing the original view with an augmented view, fully or partially. The IKEA Catalog app is a great example for this. Video example

The same as VR, one of the most known applications of AR is in the gaming industry. Guess you've heard about PokemonGo phenomenon.

In Retail, AR will help customers make wiser purchases, providing product data and different optimization details for the product. It also gives customers the possibility to check if the specific product will match the environment, like the IKEA Catalog app. In Education, we will have interactive models for learning and training, Real-Estate will benefit from AR by implementing 3D tours of the apartments and houses, Healthcare will benefit by training doctors and Broadcasting by showcasing scenarios in more impressive ways:

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality will be a part of our future, there is no doubt. But will the line between reality and Virtual/Augmented reality get thinner? And more specific, how much will a sales cycle become dependent on these technologies? I’m curious to know your thoughts. Please share them below.

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The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Oracle.