Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are rapidly evolving technologies with the potential to transform the way we work. Apple’s VisionPro headset is a powerful new AR/VR device that has the potential to revolutionize how professional services are delivered. This BOLD Awards post explores the potential of AR and VR in professional services and how Apple’s VisionPro headset can be used to enhance productivity, collaboration, customer service and training.
AR and VR for Professional Services: The Promise
AR and VR offer numerous potential benefits for professional services. Here are some key benefits, supported with examples of how AR and VR are being used in professional services.
Enhanced productivity
AR can be used to overlay digital information onto the real world, allowing professionals to access information and tools they need without having to look away from their work. VR can be used to create immersive training simulations that allow professionals to practice new skills in a safe and controlled environment.
Siemens uses AR to help technicians troubleshoot and repair equipment. Technicians wear AR glasses that allow them to see digital instructions and information overlaid onto the real world. This can help them to identify problems and repair equipment more quickly and efficiently.
Augmedic uses AR to provide surgeons with real-time guidance during surgery. Surgeons wear AR glasses that allow them to see digital images and information overlaid onto the patient’s body. This can help them to make more precise incisions and avoid mistakes. This reduces the chances of patients requiring a secondary operation, reduces the time required for patient recuperation, and frees up hospital beds faster for the benefit of other patients.
Improved collaboration
AR and VR can be used to create virtual workspaces where professionals from anywhere in the world can collaborate on projects in the metaverse. This can be particularly beneficial for teams that are spread out across different locations. AR-powered teleconferencing allows employees to visualize and interact with 3-D models, share information and collaborate as if they were physically present.
Enterprises have been more likely to adopt the technology than individual consumers for personal use. Although users may gain experience of using the tech in the workplace, a lack of space for large enough screens in residential settings was likely to restrict the number of consumer early adopters. Some service providers are adapting to this.
Campfire 3D, based in California, is a leading innovator in this space, enabling what they call holographic collaboration across all types of devices. This includes their own high-resolution wide field-of-view AR headset that can be connected to a PC.
In addition to its virtual training and meeting platform, Morpheus XR, based in Florida, provides a headset rental service.
However, there are still privacy and security issues associated with access to business systems through residential web connections that may cause businesses to be wary of their employees working in the company’s virtual space from home.
More effective training
Experiential learning remains a cornerstone of immersive training. AR and VR can be used to create highly immersive and interactive training experiences that can help professionals learn new skills more effectively. Using AR and VR is already common in some sectors, such as training pilots and engineers in the hazardous oil and gas industries. However, in many other business sectors, factors such as cost, logistics and unrealistic avatars are putting companies off.
STRIVR is using VR to create immersive training simulations for businesses and other organizations. Employees can use VR headsets to practice responding to customer service issues, handling difficult situations, and performing other job-related tasks.
Bentley Systems is using VR to create immersive training simulations for engineers. Engineers can use VR headsets to practice designing and building structures in a safe and controlled environment. This can help them to learn new skills and improve their performance.
FundamentalVR, a winner of three categories in the 2023 fourth edition of the BOLD Awards, provides a ‘flight simulator equivalent for surgeons to acquire and extend their skills. It includes haptic technology, which adds a touch sensation for surgeons to also feel what they are doing.
Enhanced customer service
AR and VR can be used to provide customers with more personalized and immersive service experiences. For example, AR can be used to overlay digital instructions onto a customer’s product, while VR can be used to create virtual tours of a company’s facilities.
Vizient is using VR to create virtual tours of hospitals and medical facilities. This can help patients to become more familiar with their surroundings before they visit the hospital. It can also help healthcare providers to identify potential hazards and safety issues.
US retailer Walmart uses VR for its shop floor staff to role-play interaction with customers and deal with a variety of circumstances. These experiences help them feel more confident and better prepared to interact with customers in the real world.
These examples across different business sectors demonstrate the potential of AR and VR to transform professional services. Apple’s VisionPro headset has the potential to further accelerate the adoption of these technologies in the professional services industry.
Apple’s VisionPro Headset: The Future of AR/VR for Professional Services
Apple’s VisionPro headset, due to be launched in the first half of 2024, is a powerful new AR/VR device that has the potential to revolutionize professional services. The headset is equipped with a number of cutting-edge features.
Image source: Apple High-resolution displays: VisionPro’s displays deliver stunning visuals that allow users to see virtual objects and information with incredible clarity.
- Wide field of view: VisionPro’s wide field of view allows users to see more of the virtual world around them, making for a more immersive experience.
- Advanced hand tracking: VisionPro’s hand tracking technology allows users to interact with virtual objects and information using their hands in a natural and intuitive way.
These features make VisionPro a powerful tool for professional services. For example, doctors can use VisionPro to overlay medical images onto a patient’s body, while engineers can use VisionPro to visualize complex 3D models.
Conclusion
AR and VR are rapidly evolving technologies with the potential to transform the way many professionals work. Apple’s VisionPro headset is a powerful new AR/VR device that has the potential to revolutionize professional services. With its advanced features and capabilities, VisionPro can help professional service providers to enhance productivity, collaboration, customer services and training.
We are still in the early stages of the AR and VR revolution, but it is clear that these technologies have the potential to change the way we all work for the better. Apple’s VisionPro headset is a key player in this revolution, and we can expect to see even more innovative applications emerge in the years to come.
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