AR and VR has well and truly arrived in consumer products, with products like Pokémon GO and PlayStation VR leading the way, but what impact will it have on industrial, commercial and manufacturing design? We decided to find out.
Firstly what’s the difference between VR and AR
Virtual reality is a virtual scenario simulates the real environment but it bears no relation to the environment the user is in, nor does it interact with the real world.
Whereas Augmented Reality overlays or blends the real world, as seen through our device’s camera etc, with digital components. With AR, users can interact with virtual elements in the real world, and are able to distinguish between the two.
What are the Manufacturing applications of VR and AR? What are the benefits?
Industry-wise, the applications are plentiful.
With Augmented reality, the most famous and widely spread are those applications that help workers in manufacturing, maintenance, support, verification and quality control.
Wearable technologies are the most commonly implemented, especially when on-site, the factory floor or even when the manufacturing is happening in a completely different location. This technology is allowing people to be in control when control seems unlikely.
With virtual reality the ability to simulate a project, view a component as part of an assembly means that data and visualisation can be gained and as a result improve the design. It is possible to simulate tasks in extreme environments and in huge infrastructures. Industries such as medicine, science, and education where virtual reality are experiencing a big impact from these technologies.
The most important benefits of these technologies are cost saving, time optimisation, visualisation, flexibility and scalability.
What are the short-term goals in the application of AR and VR?
On one side, there are companies that are putting money forward in their digital transformation processes, and a crucial aspect of it will be the adoption of virtual and augmented reality solutions. But due to the lack of expertise, the outcome can sometimes leave companies disillusioned. One of the most critical elements of embedding these technologies to maximum effect is the training process of delivering and using the technology.
However, there are some brilliant hardware and software developments that are making the introduction of these technologies easier and quicker to roll out.
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