It is important to recognize the most common and challenging obstacles that Learning and Development (L&D) professionals encounter when deploying virtual reality (VR) training to their workforce
Leveraging cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality training to provide a more engaging and practical learning experience can tremendously impact enterprise organizations.
Virtual Reality technology has come a long way since its inception some time ago. Once considered a mere gaming novelty, VR is now making significant inroads into the business world. The concept of VR is pretty straightforward: a computer generates a realistic three-dimensional environment that users can experience through specialized headsets and devices. Typically in more recent years, this has been done with Standalone VR devices like the Meta Quest or Pico Neo variants. With the advent of powerful computers and high-speed internet, the potential for VR is limitless. Hardware is getting smaller and more powerful, which makes adoption easier and more cost-effective. As a result, businesses are now starting to explore the possibilities of VR use cases in the workplace. In this article, we’ll take a look at how VR is transforming the way we work and what the future of VR looks like in the workplace. Virtual Reality Training Training new employees can be time-consuming and expensive. However, VR technology has made it possible to conduct virtual reality training sessions that simulate real-world scenarios. With VR, employees can practice their skills in a safe and controlled environment without risking any damage to the actual equipment or machinery. This is especially useful for hard-to-access, remote locations, or operating machinery that is dangerous and prone to causing injury. Remote Work As remote work becomes more prevalent, VR for remote work is bridging the gap between physical and virtual workspaces. Virtual offices and meeting rooms allow remote workers to collaborate with colleagues as if they were in the same room. This creates a sense of presence and eliminates the feeling of isolation that remote workers often experience. Design and Prototyping VR technology is also changing the way businesses approach product design and prototyping. With VR, designers can create a virtual model of a product and test it in a simulated environment. This saves time and money by reducing the need for physical prototypes. Using VR for design in the enterprise training world can also mean much faster lead times, and less mistakes in the real world when conducting training remotely. Enhanced Customer Experience The immersive nature of VR makes it an excellent tool for enhancing the customer experience. VR can be used to create virtual product demonstrations or showrooms, allowing customers to experience a product before making a purchase. This creates a memorable experience that can lead to increased customer loyalty. Improved Safety and Security Finally, VR technology can be used to improve safety and security in the workplace. For example, VR safety training can be used to simulate emergency scenarios, allowing employees to practice their response without putting themselves in harm’s way. Additionally, VR can be used to train employees on security protocols, reducing the risk of security breaches. This can overlap with any type of dangerous scenario whether its operating heavy equipment, or machinery, or even working with dangerous objects such as weapons. The Future of VR in the Workplace As VR technology continues to evolve, its potential in the workplace is becoming increasingly evident. While VR is still in its early stages, it is expected to become more prevalent in the coming years. The future of VR in the workplace is exciting, with the potential to revolutionize the way we work and interact with each other. One of the main challenges of VR adoption in the workplace is the cost of the technology. However, as the technology becomes more widespread, the cost is expected to decrease, making it more accessible to businesses of all sizes. Another challenge is the need for specialized skills to create VR content. However, as more people become familiar with the technology, the demand for VR content creators is expected to increase. In conclusion, VR technology is transforming the way we work by improving training, remote collaboration, design, customer experience, and safety. The future of VR in the workplace is bright, with the potential to enhance productivity, creativity, and employee engagement. As technology becomes more accessible and affordable, we can expect to see more businesses adopting VR in the coming years.
In this post we look at the use of XR, VR, AR technologies and how they can be effectively used in the defense sector.
In this post we will explore how AI became popular, the use of VR simulations for soft skills, the cross-section of VR and AI, and the future of merged technologies between AI and VR.
The machines, technology, and equipment that keep industries running smoothly need a continual flow of talent to improve and operate efficiently. When that equipment is large, dangerous, or mistake-intolerant, workplace training injuries can become both a safety hazard and an obstacle to learning. The answer to maximizing productivity while eliminating injury comes from two unique solutions: digital twins and virtual reality. What is a Digital Twin? An interactive schematic of a component or system, a digital twin firmly anchors a physical object in the digital realm for manipulation, simulation, and education. These files are incredibly important for training, repair, and research and development applications, allowing users to interact with builds without causing wear-and-tear or costly damage to the actual objects being serviced. Creating or developing a digital twin also allows for an unprecedented use of scale versatility, allowing engineers and support teams the ability to shrink or expand on massive structures: a “dry run” of the real process before getting expensive cranes, lifts, and heavy specialty equipment involved. From the digital double we create from the real-world facility we then go a step further and create interactive scenarios that enable advanced learning without the need for equipment or subject matter experts on-site. Training can be done remotely via multiplayer virtual reality environments that eliminate travel expense and enhance ROI considerably for their training facilities. How Do Virtual Reality and Digital Twins Ensure Safety? Virtual reality environments allow manufacturers and maintenance professionals the ability to create a zero-risk, harm-free environment for exploring, experimenting, and learning. These two innovations work together to create a seamless wall of protection through simulation without exposure risk. Virtual reality training completely eliminates common injury causes, including but not limited to: Extremely heavy components cause muscle or tendon stresses during lifting Pressurized components cause spray or temperature-related (freeze/burn) injuries when dismantled Fall injuries caused by climbing up or down large components, ladders, and lifts Cutting or abrasion injuries caused by fumbling or misusing cutting tools Hearing or vision damage caused by close proximity to malfunctioning systems Potential traffic/bystander interference when working on machinery in public spaces Risk factors like these are mitigated by controlling both the digital twin and its entire surrounding environment in virtual reality. This, in turn, gives maintenance professionals and new trainees more confidence and education in what to expect during the actual job. With enough repetition and practice, virtual reality environments in job training can even help build muscle memory more efficiently while performing real-time tasks. A Risk-Free Version of the Worst-Case Scenario While it’s important to prepare employees for any situation, manufacturers obviously couldn’t purposefully endanger their staff for learning purposes. With virtual reality, however, that’s no longer true. With virtual reality, the worst-case scenario is now available at the push of a button, all in a controlled setting that poses absolutely no risk to the employee, equipment, or employer. With VR technology, even highly unlikely accidents and variables can be experienced in a 1:1 setting, ensuring that support staff knows exactly how to react if a unique situation arises in the field. Virtual reality job training can be modeled with nearly limitless variables, thanks to digital twins, to eliminate workplace injury and choice paralysis in high-stress situations, from complicating weather conditions to environmental disaster factors. In short, virtual reality environments and digital twins, when used for training and research, help protect a company’s greatest asset: its talent. With the cost of on-the-job training injuries being so high and potential opportunity costs even higher, using these digital tools may be the best decision a company ever invests in.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) training experiences make the impossible possible by providing safe and cost-effective training alternatives that look and feel natural. The fully immersive environment allows trainees to handle real-world scenarios, including dangerous situations, in a safe training experience. Training is becoming a more widespread use of VR in the enterprise, with 50% of respondents to the Industrial XR Training Survey reporting that their VR strategy belongs to the training, learning, and development department. Almost 80% of respondents said that the purpose of their industrial XR program is employee education. Companies that used VR/AR technology found that employees were better prepared for job duties than traditional training methods. Use of VR/AR technology in training new employees Training in dangerous situations in a safe environment Proper training of employees in rare, dangerous, and unexpected incidents can keep them safe in the workplace. Virtual reality training solutions allow organizations to train employees in hazardous environments without putting people or equipment at risk. Immersive, realistic virtual sets provide the perfect environment to get to know yourself, practice skills, and gauge emotional responses without real risk. Employees can be trained on active shooter threats, safety procedures, compliance, radioactive spaces, confined spaces, heights, and fall hazards. Hazard Identification Training in VR Ensure your employees are properly trained to understand the risks and take the necessary precautions to avoid accidents and injuries while ensuring your company complies with safety regulations. VR/AR training solutions enable students to spot potential hazards, use safety equipment such as personal protective equipment and fire extinguishers, follow the rules and learn proper techniques to avoid injuring colleagues. Equipment use and operator training VR/AR training solutions teach workers how to handle larger equipment such as forklifts and machines without damaging the equipment, fixtures, or other workers. Toyota Hazard Identification Training in VR Employees can also use the virtual environment to familiarize themselves with the facility, such as determining proper entry and exit routes. Often, objects in the real world don’t look like they do on a shelf or in a classroom for several reasons, such as being covered in insulation or behind distracting objects. VR allows students to see an object as if they had encountered it in the object. Operators fully understand VR/AR-enabled equipment, without the safety risk or cost, and can familiarize themselves with the new equipment before it arrives on site. Benefits of VR/AR training Multiplayer Virtual Reality Training With multiplayer virtual reality training scenarios, learners can access subject matter expertise from anywhere by putting on a standalone VR headset. This eliminates travel expenses and allows for instant access to training materials and protocols remotely. Not only does this save time and money, but it also creates a unique “metaverse” type of atmosphere that is distraction-free and fosters a creative and unique learning experience. Multiplayer VR Process Training Higher Learner Retention Rates Studies have shown that interactivity can increase retention by up to 85% compared to passive eLearning. The VR completely attracts the senses and prevents the subject from distracting by external influences and thus maximizing participation in training and preservation. A PWC study found that VR students’ confidence in learning skills after training improved by 275%. Improve ROI by reducing travel time, equipment downtime, and personnel downtime VR/AR training solutions deliver high ROI by reducing instructor training, equipment, and learner downtime. Participants practice different activities as often as needed and experience real work scenarios that would otherwise take years to encounter in just a few hours. A 2020 PwC study shows that employees complete VR programs 4x faster than face-to-face training and 1.5x faster than e-training. VR/AR technology reduces the time spent in the classroom for training and learning complex procedures by eliminating the time needed to disassemble and reassemble training props. Study work and travel time are also reduced because students do most of their training alone in a VR environment and can do it remotely. VR/AR training technology can also provide a higher ROI than traditional training methods because each new employee can reuse the content. VR/AR content must be strategically designed to be infinitely useful, greatly expanding the potential of training and knowledge acquisition while reducing training time and cost. Retain talented employees Talented employees can continue to do their work instead of spending time training new employees through VR/AR training. A small number of experienced field workers can train and instruct many trainees. Employees can train at their own pace and repeat it more often and easily while retaining skilled workers in their industry positions.
In the future, there will be multiple virtual universes, each of which you can enter with your mobile device to experience the web with more vivid graphics and virtual and improved augmented reality. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has recently stated, “I believe the metaverse is the next chapter for the internet.” Virtual reality has the potential to reshape everything from entertainment and gaming to education and social interaction. But what exactly is the metaverse? And what are some of its features? What Exactly is the Metaverse? Several months have passed since Facebook declared its rebranding to Meta and its new focus to concentrate on the approaching “metaverse” for its future. What the phrase means hasn’t become altogether straightforward. Meta is developing a VR social platform, Roblox supports user-generated video games, and some businesses create gaming worlds with NFTs tacked on. According to tech industry workers, the lack of coherence is because the metaverse is in development and too new to define. For instance, the internet existed in the 1970s, but the preconceived notions about what it would eventually look like were not all accurate. But the one certain thing is that tech firms stand to make huge profits once the metaverse launches. According to Citi, the value of the Metaverse economy by 2030 might reach $13 trillion. How Will The Metaverse Affect Societies and Their Perception of Reality? The metaverse is a digital universe that expands upon and enhances the physical world. It has the potential to change our perception of reality and society as a whole by blurring the lines between what is real and what is digital. With such a transformative technology, it’s important to understand the implications for people’s lives. The metaverse is a game-changing technology that will profoundly impact society’s perception of reality and society. For one, you’ll be able to buy virtual houses and go to work meetings in the metaverse. This process will change how people interact with each other and the world. In addition, the metaverse will provide a new platform for businesses and entrepreneurs to reach a global audience. The possibilities are endless, and the potential for the metaverse is immense. How Does the Blockchain Fit Into The Metaverse? The blockchain is critical to the metaverse because it provides a secure, decentralized way to store data and transactions. Plus, blockchain can create virtual assets that can be bought, sold, or traded in the metaverse. So what does this mean? Well, Facebook has already created an open-source protocol called Spark AR that you can use to create your own augmented reality experiences. Imagine a social media platform where people could purchase these digital assets from other users. It would allow users to make money off the digital content and collect assets that could increase in value over time (similar to buying shares). Imagine everyone being able to buy and sell stock for unique creations. Through blockchain, the world economy is transitioning from a system based on scarcity to one based on abundance. And with blockchain technology becoming more widespread, more and more opportunities are emerging for entrepreneurs to build new platforms that will shape the future economy. How You Can Get Involved in the Metaverse Today While the metaverse is still in development, there are already ways to access it. For example, Meta has developed its own virtual reality headset Meta Quest 2, which can serve as your gateway into the metaverse. After downloading the app from the website, put on your headset and press Enter. You will find yourself in a white room with floating monitors where your journey into the metaverse begins. Some popular virtual worlds include VRChat, Second Life, and Decentraland, or start developing your own world using platforms like High Fidelity or Somnium Space. You can also create avatars and experiences using tools like Unreal Engine, also used to create realistic scenes in Hollywood movies. People can create realistic digital representations in the metaverse. Using laptop computers, mobile devices, and VR headsets like the Meta Quest 2, users can build realistic customizable avatars. These controllable avatars mimic actual humans visually and speak and move with realism. From August, the 128GB and 256GB variants of Meta Quest 2 will cost $399.99 and $499.99, respectively. And for a limited time, with every new headset purchase, there will be a free download offer for the VR game Beat Saber. Over $1 billion has been spent on Meta Quest apps by users, assisting creators in developing ever-improving VR-optimized games and experiences. The Potential to Revolutionize the World While the true nature of the metaverse may not have been fully realized as of yet, there are a number of corporations looking at using metaverse technologies (namely Augmented and Virtual Reality) in order to develop the next generation of training content for their teams. Using these technologies undoubtedly leads to faster learning, better retention, and invariably cost savings in the short and long term. See how Toyota Material Handling is utilizing VR training in a recent case study here. The metaverse is a virtual world that exists on the internet. It is where people can interact with each other and with computer-generated characters and objects. The metaverse is still in its early stages of development, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way people interact with each other and with the world.
Virtual reality (VR) technology is opening more and more possibilities for businesses of all sizes, especially in the realm of corporate training. American businesses are expected to spend approximately $4.1 billion on virtual reality training software and other VR training products by 2024. It’s easy to see why VR employee training is so popular. VR training software offers life-like scenarios where new and veteran employees can learn new skills and hone existing ones without impacting customer service. Below are just a few examples of how businesses are using this new technology for training purposes. Advantages of using VR for employee training There are many benefits to using VR for employee training. Employees can train anywhere, reducing the financial and time resources needed to get a new employee up to speed. In addition, employees can learn at their own pace and generally enjoy the format of VR training since it’s exciting and game-like. Virtual reality employee training case studies Automotive VR training at Audi & Toyota The German car manufacturer, Audi, uses VR to train employees to use complex equipment. Without training, errors are common, so it’s not ideal to train new hires on actual production lines. Instead, the company uses VR software to simulate their job requirements. The training becomes more complex as the employee masters each part of the training. On the drawing board at Audi is a software development kit that will allow non-tech managers to program the training modules to meet their departments’ needs. On the other side of the coin, one of our flagship clients here at VR Vision for the last 5 years has been Toyota. They are using virtual reality for training front-line workers on hazard identification and forklift maintenance and repair. Toyota Material Handling has also been using VR for developing multiplayer digital twins and digital doubles of their training facility and vehicles. This was done in order to have trainers and trainees learn how to perform maintenance, part identification, and electrical work on their current and soon-to-be-released electric forklifts. Using digital twins allowed their dealers to train without having to travel to Toyota’s learning center or having to purchase the forklift to have it on site. See the full demo below. Medical evacuation training for USAF and USSF personnel Medical evacuations are challenging to train for since every situation is unique. The US Air Force and US Space Force have teamed up with SIMX to create the Virtual Advancement of Learning and Operational Readiness (VALOR) program. This VR training system simulates a medical emergency where teams from different military branches must work together seamlessly. The VR software creates realistic situations, such as night transfers, that give personnel experience they wouldn’t normally get until an emergency arises. Surgeon Training at Uconn Health Surgeons at Uconn Health have switched from training on cadavers to training with virtual reality software. The software has six levels of difficulty that simulate real-life surgeries. An instructor watches the VR session and offers critique and constructive criticism. Studies by the health system found that the new VR training got surgeons up to speed 570 times faster than traditional surgical training. Training pilots with VR at KLM KLM, the Dutch national airline, uses VR software to train its pilots. The three-part training introduces the pilot to the aircraft and the controls, puts them behind the controls, and finally gives him or her a 360-degree walk-through of the plane. Unlike traditional pilot training, the VR program can be used outside a simulator at different locations throughout the KLM system. The beauty of using virtual reality in corporate training is that employees can learn a new skill or how to operate a piece of equipment without the inherent problems associated with on-the-job training. Consider that employees of all skill levels can enjoyably learn at their own pace, and you’ve got a win-win for everyone involved. Want to learn more about using virtual reality training at your enterprise? Contact us here at VR Vision today to learn how you can adopt and utilize immersive technology in an effective and ROI-driven manner.
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