From film classics like Tron or Ready Player One to faraway dystopias; VR has been integrating itself into our worldview for years. We almost all know a scene where the protagonist of the story puts on VR glasses and disappears into a hyper-realistic world where anything is possible. We see futuristic neon cities and stylized engines, but behind them is often a world in such terrible shape that VR seems to be the only outlet left. Fortunately, the latter is certainly not the case, but it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the fact that what we envisioned as virtual reality back in the 1980s is pretty much possible today. But what exactly is VR?
If we want to explain what VR is, we have to go back one step further. Because while VR stands for Virtual Reality, there is another category that hangs above it: XR, or Extended Reality. XR is the collective term for all forms of digitally enhanced or replaced worlds. Perception of these worlds is auditory, visual and even through touch. And who knows what else the future holds? With Apple’s recent announcement of the Vision Pro, the stage seems set for blending different “realities” such as AR and VR into one immersive experience. With this, the evolution of XR seems to be in full swing.
With or without glasses, on a computer or via a mobile device; VR has many faces and cannot be defined by one medium. But don’t let that fool you. VR can always be recognized by the fact that it is a 3D world, built by people and computers. That world can be big or small. Consider, for example, our VR app for the product showcase of a bicycle in which the USPs are displayed interactively. The world you find yourself in when you want to view these bikes is actually very small. In contrast to that, for example, is Virtual Groningen, a project StudioXR is currently still working hard on. In it, as an avatar you can literally view and experience the city of Groningen in its full virtual glory and interact with everyone you meet on the VR platform.
Of course, this is all very beautiful to see and especially fun to experience, but VR is not just for “fun & games.” It is also a perfect tool to put to promote knowledge transfer, something that we at StudioXR consider particularly important.
In fact, the use of VR in a learning environment ties in seamlessly with one of our earlier articles on Blended Learning. Not only does the virtual platform provide the opportunity to connect with a trainee’s experience, it also provides the opportunity to learn in a safe, simulated environment. For example, at our partner Innovam, it is very important that trainers working on electric vehicles can safely practice connecting and disconnecting high-voltage batteries. A virtual environment where there can be practiced without physical risks is a fantastic addition here. Using VR, we can learn from experience, from doing: a method that has long been known to teach the most.
So it should come as no surprise that we at StudioXR are constantly looking for new ways to integrate VR into training, courses and workshops. Alignment is crucial in this. Do you have an idea to use VR for a training or course you would like to develop? We would love to think with you!
