Oct 14, 2024
VR, AR, and XR are revolutionizing the industry by providing immersive visualization that enhances understanding, collaboration, and optimization of complex processes.
Imagine being able to immerse yourself in an environment where data comes to life, where every graph and every figure becomes a tangible experience. In a constantly evolving world, companies face the challenge of understanding and optimizing complex processes in a sea of overwhelming information. But what if you could "see" that data in three dimensions, touch it, and manipulate it as if it were physical objects?
The visualization of data in three-dimensional environments with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) is revolutionizing the way companies understand and optimize their processes. These emerging technologies are gaining more and more strength in data visualization, as realistic environment representation enhances cognitive understanding. Their benefits extend beyond entertainment, reaching critical sectors such as medicine and education, but they are also finding an increasingly relevant place in industry.
Before moving forward with the different benefits, let’s clarify some terms to know which of the technologies is the most interesting for you, and how you could benefit from it.
What is Virtual Reality?
What is Extended Reality?
What is Augmented Reality?
What is Mixed Reality?
Get ready to discover a new horizon of possibilities where innovation and technology intertwine, creating a fascinating journey towards continuous improvement.
What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive technology that uses special devices, such as glasses or headsets, to simulate three-dimensional environments that do not exist in the real world. Through these devices, users can interact and move within completely digital worlds, allowing them to experience immersive experiences realistically. Virtual reality has applications in sectors such as education, vocational training, entertainment, and the simulation of industrial environments.
What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality (AR) allows for the real-time overlay of virtual layers onto the physical world. This is achieved through smart devices, such as augmented reality glasses, tablets, or mobile phones. Through these layers, it is possible to visualize images, videos, data, or even 3D models over physical objects, as if they were holograms.
This technology has become widely popular, being recognized for its application in the game Pokémon Go. Additionally, it is also commonly found in filters on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram or TikTok.
Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality does not replace the real world but complements it, allowing for new forms of interaction, especially useful in commerce, education, and product design.
What is Mixed Reality?
Mixed Reality (MR) is a technology that combines elements of the real world with virtual elements, using devices such as smart glasses that recognize and understand the physical environment. Virtual elements intelligently adapt to real objects, complementing them or adding information and interactive elements that enrich the user experience. In other words, virtual components not only overlay onto the real world, but also understand the context and can interact dynamically and in real time with it.
It can be difficult to understand how mixed reality differs from augmented reality, but to simplify it, one easy way to understand it is to see mixed reality as an enhanced version of augmented reality. While Augmented Reality limits itself to overlaying images or data onto the physical environment, Mixed Reality goes a step further, allowing virtual elements to interact and respond coherently to the physical environment in which they exist.
What is Extended Reality?
The term Extended Reality (XR) encompasses the previous technologies VR, AR, and MR as well as other similar technologies that combine real and virtual environments and elements.
The concept of Extended Reality is part of the growing field of Spatial Computing (Spatial Computing), which also includes innovations such as Internet of Things (IoT) and the metaverse. These technologies are transforming how we interact with the environment and data, offering new opportunities in sectors such as entertainment, education, industry, and design.
Image credit: Northwestern University.
Spatial Computing
Spatial computing is an innovative technology that enables interaction with data and digital objects within a real three-dimensional space. Using technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), this discipline transforms the physical environment into an interactive space where digital data can be manipulated as if they were real objects. Spatial computing has immense potential in areas such as engineering, medicine, and design, where the visualization and manipulation of 3D data facilitate complex processes and improve decision-making.
What is the difference between spatial computing and extended reality?
Spatial computing and extended reality (XR) are closely related, although they have distinct focuses. The main distinction between spatial computing and extended reality (XR) lies in their scope. Spatial computing is a broader technology that focuses on understanding and mapping the physical environment to integrate digital elements into three-dimensional space, using sensors, cameras, and advanced algorithms.
On the other hand, extended reality is a term that encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies, focusing on creating immersive experiences for the end user. Essentially, spatial computing provides the infrastructure and technological capabilities that enable many extended reality (XR) applications, allowing these experiences to be contextual, accurate, and natural in their interaction with the physical world.
Benefits of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Understanding Industrial Processes
Emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are revolutionizing how industries understand and optimize their processes. These innovations offer significant benefits that contribute to improving efficiency, safety, and innovation capacity across various sectors.
Cognitive Enhancement and Information Retention
VR and AR stimulate cognitive perception, facilitating a deeper understanding and better retention of information. These immersive technologies create memorable experiences that help:
Improve understanding of complex concepts.
Increase long-term information retention.
Accelerate the learning and adaptation process.
Enhanced Interactivity and Collaboration
The ability to interact with data, dashboards, and animations in real time offers significant advantages:
Greater information retention due to active participation.
Facilitation of communication between teams and departments.
Faster and more effective decision-making based on interactive visualizations.
Realistic Simulations for Process Optimization
The creation of virtual scenarios allows:
Identify potential problems before implementation in a real environment.
Proactively optimize processes and workflows.
Reduce costs associated with errors and rework.
Integration of VR and AR in the Modern Industry:
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are technologies that are part of a broader and more sophisticated digital ecosystem. Their true potential is unlocked when they are integrated with other emerging technologies, creating holistic solutions that transform the industry:
Internet of Things (IoT): IoT sensors collect real-time data from the physical environment, which can then be visualized in VR/AR environments. For example, in a smart factory, operators can see the status of machines and production in real time through AR devices.
Big Data and Advanced Analytics: The large volumes of generated data are processed and analyzed to provide predictive insights. These can be visualized in immersive VR dashboards, allowing managers to make informed decisions based on complex trends and patterns.
BIM (Building Information Modeling) Models: In the construction industry, BIM models are integrated with VR/AR to provide comprehensive management of the building life cycle. Architects and builders can "walk" through the virtual building, detect conflicts, and optimize the design before physical construction occurs.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning: These systems can automate complex processes and improve decision-making. In VR/AR environments, AI can provide virtual assistants to guide users, or object recognition systems to enhance interaction with the augmented environment.
Cloud Computing: Allows for the processing and storage of large amounts of data necessary for complex VR/AR experiences, facilitating access and collaboration from anywhere.
This technological convergence not only improves the efficiency and accuracy of industrial processes but also opens up new possibilities for innovation and creative problem-solving. By combining these technologies, companies can create complete digital twins of their operations, simulate complex scenarios, and make data-driven decisions with an unprecedented level of detail and accuracy.
The implementation of VR and AR is transforming the industrial landscape by:
Improving training and reducing the learning curve.
Facilitating remote collaboration and telecommuting.
Optimizing product and process design.
Increasing operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Enhancing safety in hazardous work environments.
In conclusion, virtual reality and augmented reality have become indispensable tools for industries looking to differentiate themselves from the competition and remain competitive in the digital age. These technologies not only enhance understanding of complex processes but also drive innovation, efficiency, and safety across various industrial sectors. In particular, our IMMERSIA team, with our TOKII digital twins platform, has applied this technology in the engineering and construction sector through the use of BIM models for Acciona.
If you are interested in learning how Acciona has optimized its processes and decision-making using Augmented Reality in its projects, we invite you to read the ACCIONA Success Case.
