VRand AR

VR
1. Retail
VR technology is an excellent tool to increase profit and attract customers in retail. People
have shown their appreciation of e-commerce service and are eager to go further. 70% of
customers admitted they are strongly interested in virtual shopping.
Virtual reality experience provides customers with a completely new level of service from an
ability to try on clothes while at home to decorating a room that is not even built yet. Variety
of solutions makes it a highly applicable and adjustable tool. Big companies like IKEA, eBay
or Topshop have already put VR into practice, each of them in their unique way.
While IKEA suggests their customers a tour to a virtual kitchen of their dreams, eBay has
built an interactive personalized catalog for easy shopping.
2. Health care
We all hope one day there will be no diseases and the world will be a perfectly healthy place.
But until then we should keep developing the health care industry and the latest technology is
what can help. Virtual reality is among them.
VR in healthcare can be useful for both patients and doctors. People receive therapy with VR
applications to fight fears and phobias. There already exist solutions aimed to educate and
share experience: virtual surgeries, emergency training, VR anatomy applications. There was
even a live stream of an operation – that’s how far it went.
But this is only the beginning. We have just started discovering the full potential of extended
realities in healthcare and medicine. Maybe in five or 10 years, we won’t even have to leave
our house to get examined by a doctor and surgeries will be done remotely by operating a
robot.
3. Film & entertainment
First it was just a moving picture. Then it turned into a 3D image. Now you can watch a film
and be a part of it. Virtual reality cinemas is definitely a thing we should expect to appear
more in the near future.
This new approach to storytelling blurs the boundaries between the story and the viewer
making him a central element of the movie. There has even appeared a new term –
“cinematic VR” – a type of VR experience based on 360-degree videos filmed with a special
camera. However, such films can also be made from scratch using 3D graphics, like this short
movie about a shark attack.
Many companies have started embracing virtual technology to present their products with a
twist. For example, Sony announced developing a “non-game virtual reality project” based on
the TV show Breaking Bad and Disney offers a range of immersive entertainment based on
their animation films.
4. Marketing & advertising
Marketers today are in constant search of better ways to draw customer’s attention. People
are getting bored of typical advertising and virtual reality is what can awe them. VR
experience offers people a unique way to interact with the brand that will surely be
remembered.
There is no one way how to use VR for advertising – each brand comes up with new
solutions and creative ideas. Some, like Patron, use 360 videos to tell about the story of their
company and product. Topshop, for example, offered their customers an entertainment
dedicated to their summer collection. Such a flexible tool as virtual reality grants marketers
endless opportunities to create and excite their customers.
5. Automotive
VR’s potential in the automotive industry is starting to unleash. First steps were taken several
years ago and since then companies keep exploring what VR can bring them.
Creating a concept and designing a manufacturing line based on virtual data was an idea of
Ford. Ford’s Immersive Vehicle Environment is aimed to combine forces of engineers from
different countries to work on the design and simulate assembly work taking into account
employee safety.
Volvo and Audi, on the other side, focused on user experience. The first one offered their
customers an opportunity to take a virtual test drive using their smartphone, while Audi’s
application allowed the customers to try various configurations of the car.
6. Construction & real estate
A picture is worth a thousand words. Especially when it comes to construction and design – it
is much easier to persuade a person to buy or rent a house if they see it. And virtual reality is
a perfect tool for visualization.
75% of users prefer a virtual tour to help them to take a decision. Virtual tours allow a
customer to see and explore the house or a flat at any time without leaving a comfortable
office. In some cases, it is even possible to take a look at the building in construction and
make some changes to the owner’s taste. Interactive applications also allow playing with
design and furnishing to style the accommodation.
Architects and designers also benefit from implementing VR into their work. With virtual
reality, it is much easier to visualize the construction plan, check if there are any mistakes and
share opinions with colleagues.
7. Sports
Sport attracts a lot of attention. Millions of people watch matches or races on TV and the
internet and thousands visit live events. VR combines the excitement of a live event with the
comfort of your own home. There are services that broadcast live events using 360 cameras.
In such a case the viewer enjoys the experience as if they were there in person.
Professional athletes adopted VR as a means of training. US Olympic ski team members used
virtual sessions to prepare for the Winter Olympics in South Corea. One of the skiers even
used it as a part of her post-trauma rehabilitation.
Virtual reality in sports is undoubtedly useful for both the spectators and the sportsmen so
VR broadcasting and immersive training will definitely take their place in the industry.
8. Education
Education must be interesting to be efficient. That is true for both children and adults.
Immersive workshops and simulators contribute to educational process increasing students’
engagement and general efficiency. Virtual workshops will help children learn how laws of
physics actually work, what the Solar system looks like and how to grow a plant.
Educational applications are not always tied up to the school environment. People of different
professions use VR simulators to upgrade their skills. It is especially important when it helps
people avoid or cope with dangerous situations: there are solutions for firefighters, doctors,
military. Training and workshops are themselves a useful activity, but VR adds even more
value making them innovative and engaging.
9. Tourism
The same as real estate, the tourism sphere takes all the advantages of VR as a visualization
tool. Travel agencies now have the ability to showcase the destination much better than with
a brochure. Thomas Cook used virtual tours across different locations to convince people
they should travel more. It is reported that this move resulted in 190% uplift in New York
excursion bookings.
Besides traveling around the world, VR solutions also include visiting museums and
galleries. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The British Museum presented 360 video
excursions to let people see the treasures they have. Seeing them on screen may encourage
some to go there in real life.

AR
 Manufacturing: 3D augmented reality saves time and money
In industries like the manufacturing industry, you can’t afford making a single mistake in the
development process. A minor error can become the reason for re-building or improving an
existing product, which will be both costly and time-consuming.
Augmented reality provides an excellent solution for easily spotting manufacturing errors.
The technology, with its potential to digitize the product prototyping in 3D, makes it easier to
access and understand the prototype. The business leaders can easily make the right decision
and their team can act effectively. This increases the speed of the process along with the
efficiency rate, which ultimately enhances the overall experience and profit generated.
EDUCATION
AR technology is making a difference in the education business vertical in two ways: by
engaging users and by making the concepts interactive.
 incorporating gaming elements into the classroom, AR provides an exceptional experience
for both teachers and students.
It encourages them to turn a boring class into a jaw-dropping experience and learn
complicated concepts easily via 3D AR modeling. It empowers them to learn beyond the
textbook material and satisfy curiosity.
Beyond that, it enables tutors and teachers to provide the right environment for students so
they can give their best output. For example, by turning a classroom into an augmented
reality playground or high-definition gym, a physical education instructor can easily prompt
students to practice actively.
HEALTHCARE:AR technology is also disrupting the world of healthcare by breaking down
complex medical concepts into interactive 3D forms.
This way, AR helps empower medical experts to describe ailments and treatments more
easily to patients and trainees. 3D visualizations of organs from different angles help
surgeons make more precise stitches and increase success ratios.
AR adds life to formerly static marketing mediums. It enables marketers to include 3D
animations, video and targeted information into AR-based storefronts, brochures, posters, t-
shirts, flyers, and billboards.
Doing so provides a lucrative and seamless experience to the targeted audience
Augmented reality is transforming the beauty industry by providing virtual assistance to
customers who don’t have to leave the comfort of their own homes to try out the latest in
fashion and cosmetics.
For example, department store chain Macy’s is helping simplify the cosmetics selection
process for customers who want to try out beauty products without waiting in
potentially long lines at the counter.
Using AR technology, they created a mobile app that allows users to choose from thousands
of beauty products and shades for customized makeovers.
This way, shoppers can get an idea of what they want before they even step foot in a store. 
Travel: Take 360-degree tours of vacation destinations right from a phone
From booking hotel rooms and transportation to planning events and outings, augmented
reality helps make traveling hassle-free and memorable.
The technology can give travelers access to information written in pamphlets and other
sources by converting it into useful, spoken conversation. It can offer 360-degree tours of
guest rooms, restaurants, meeting facilities, and other venues. And it can empower travelers
to plan and anticipate visits to nearby events and places before they even leave the comfort of
their rooms.
Navigation: Smart glasses make driving directions a snap
Using a GPS while traveling to a new place is often troublesome – and potentially dangerous
if distracting. To tackle this situation, ARy has come up with smart glasses that have sensors
which enable drivers to keep a track of a route he/she is taking without looking around.
 Retail: AR helps consumers imagine products right in their homes
One of the biggest hurdles to successfully selling larger items in retail stores is that customers
are often unsure of whether or not a purchase is actually going to fit in the space they have
available when they get it home. That barbeque pit might look great in the showroom, but at
home, it might just dwarf the backyard. 
Home supply store Lowe’s has found a workaround for that problem by using AR to allow
customers to picture big-ticket items, like grills, right in their own backyard. This also
enables sales teams to give shoppers a better idea of which products are right for their
budgets and their space. 
Food and beverage industry: Diners can have nutritional info at their fingertips
Augmented reality bridges the gap between consumer, product and product content.
AR can make it easier for end consumers to get detailed information of ingredients and
nutritional value of food items in restaurants, for example. In turn, this might encourage chefs
to experiment and create new recipes more in tune with what consumers want to consume.
Enterprises: Businesses can connect with clients face-to-face
AR has also enhanced enterprise working experiences. By creating an AR projection of the
person on call at the other end, the technology is making users feel as if they are talking
directly. This way, it is improving the engagement and productivity of the process. Besides,
the technology is playing a crucial role in scanning and gathering all the online information
about an individual so as to verify his background before getting into a deal.