The outbreak of COVID disrupted the traditional way of working. While the shift from office to work from home was abrupt and tough, it has now become the new normal.
According to a report by Owl Labs, 90% of respondents found working remotely more productive than working at the office.
Evidently, people prefer working remotely rather than going to the office every day. To help further this cause, offices began adopting various methods to make the best out of work from home. Eventually, with the inclusion of tech tools, video conference meetings elevated into virtual meetings.
What is Virtual Reality?
VR is a three-dimensional environment built digitally to put users in a simulation so they can fully indulge themselves in an immersive digital environment. VR works using a mix of cutting edge software and hardware technology like Oculus.
The hardware supports sensory stimulation such as sounds, touch, etc. while the software creates a virtual environment.
For instance, just imagine putting on VR Glasses to play a VR car racing game. Since this technology is intended to “trick” the eye and brain by creating a real-life environment virtually, you will feel immersed within the game like physically sitting in the automobile and driving it!
The pandemic paved way for the long-awaited upsurge of this fascinating technology. Not just for entertainment purposes, Virtual Reality has now also made its way into more commercial settings. Workforces can explore and interact virtually using specialized equipment such as VR Glasses, Headphones, Goggles, Sensory Gloves, and more.
Rise of VR Meetings
VR Meetings have become a catalyst that is bridging the gap between the real and virtual workplace. Companies have started to conduct their meetings through VR Meeting Platforms such as GatherInVR.
A VR headset is required to convert ordinary meetings into more immersive virtual meetings. With its camera and inertial sensors built into the headset, VR technology detects a variety of actions to create a realistic experience.
An avatar can mimic a real person’s movements in virtual space and do any action, while the real person can examine all of these motions without exhausting themselves. This has led to a lot of advances in the workplaces that wouldn’t be ideally possible in a real-life setting.
Why VR Meeting is here to stay
While working remotely, meetings are usually conducted on platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. These tools are fit for discussions and screen sharing but they also leave a feeling of aloofness and isolation.
To avert such a situation, Virtual Reality can be of assistance as it encourages immersive digital interaction that leads to better engagement.
Moving on, consider that one of the reasons people travel to corporate offices or other locations is to meet in person. This is not only for human interaction and collaboration but also for greater focus on the issues under discussion. VR simulates being in a live meeting with another person, making interactions more personal without the cost of travel.
We now know that VR use in the workplace extends beyond just fostering inclusivity when working remotely. Among many other things, going VR has a significant impact on many crucial aspects that lead to the betterment of a company.
- Remote Collaborations
For instance, a company aims to launch an automobile and calls a meeting to view the 3D prototype. With VR Meetings, everyone joining the meeting can digitally stand around the product, see the prototype simultaneously, navigate it, rotate it, and whatnot. They can potentially explore more than they could in reality. - Improved Employee Training
VR Meetings are tailored to an organization’s learning needs to make high-quality training easier to deliver. The hands-off virtual training can be performed on a large number of people in much less time than traditional offline training. It also gives people the chance to practice in situations that are tough to recreate in offline training sessions. This is especially helpful for high-risk training for occupations like firefighting or construction work.
- Time Saving & Cost-Cutting
VR Meetings ensure that members can learn what they need to without having to wait for a certain event to occur or be physically present at the site, etc. All of this leads to greater engagement while also saving time and cost of travel. Additionally, with its growing popularity, VR headsets are becoming more widely available and affordable each year. - Favorable for the New-Gen Workforce
Through VR meetings, freshers can receive immersive and intensive training required for any job. This allows companies to hire not based on just work experience but also on their talent and ability to learn. Hence, giving a nod to the younger generation to start their career.
Virtual Reality Meetings Platforms
As of now, there exist over 16 VR Platforms. While the list is long, there are a few platforms that have laid the groundwork for current and upcoming VR systems.
- Facebook Horizon
It is a VR Platform created by Facebook where users may interact with one another in an immersive environment while using their custom 3D avatars. Users need to download the allotted app and use Oculus devices. - Microsoft Mesh
This VR Platform enables people to collaborate virtually in a room as they would in person through 3D avatars of themselves. Users can access this using any Mesh-enabled app and devices such as HoloLens 2, VR headsets, mobile phones, tablets, or PCs. - GatherInVR
Developed by Queppelin, it is a platform to conduct Virtual Reality meetings and conferences which can be customized for any business or company. It is a browser-based platform and does not require any app installation by the attendees/guests.
How to Launch VR Meetings in GatherInVR?
Setting up a VR Meeting is easy. The procedure is similar to what you would follow to attend an online meeting. Let’s explore this on Queppelin’s GatherInVR Platform
- Step 1 – Go to gatherinvr.com
- Step 2 – Enter one of the public rooms of your choice from pre-existing templates offered or get a customized room designed by our team.
- Step 3 – On the next screen, you can pick from three options namely Join Room, Enter on Device, and Spectate.
- If you have a VR headset, then simply click on ‘Enter on Device’ and join the meeting. Your VR headset will allow you to have an immersive meeting experience with your colleagues.
- If you do not have a VR headset, then you can click on ‘Join Room’ and be a part of your virtual meeting like you would on a Zoom or Google Meet call but with a 3D Avatar.
- Both of these options let you chat, share screens, add/remove people, converse with one another, and so on. However, if you wish to just observe a meeting, then you can simply click on ‘Spectate’.
- If you have a VR headset, then simply click on ‘Enter on Device’ and join the meeting. Your VR headset will allow you to have an immersive meeting experience with your colleagues.
Now that we know how you can set up and join meetings of Queppelin’s VR Meetings Platform, the next question that arises is what is an avatar.
Avatar- Your virtual self
Avatars are basically a 3D visual representation of a person created by using Artificial Intelligence and tracking body language. The avatar that represents you also enables you to interact with the content in the meeting. On GatherInVR, you can either get a custom-made avatar or choose from the pre-existing avatars available on the site.
Just like in a real meeting, you can walk around the room, converse with people, share your screen, etc. Additionally, you can even join different meeting rooms within meeting rooms, and so much more.
3D Environments
3D Environment refers to the generation of realistic atmosphere using computer generated software. People can immerse themselves in settings that might be typically out of reach due to cost, time, safety concerns, or perceived limitations.
On GatherInVR, you can get your 3D Environment tailored to your needs. It can be your office’s layout, a completely new arrangement, or whatever else your imagination and creativity lead to. VR Meetings can be made engaging by such customized 3D environments for the employees that feel nostalgic about the office environment. People can roam around the 3D virtual office space as well.
Additionally, GatherInVR lets your avatar freely navigate around the 3D Environment by using your mouse and keys like W, A, S, and D, similar to how you would move around in a game. The goal is to create maximum engagement & immersion by gamifying the meeting experience.
Going beyond VR Meetings
As VR Meetings have become a popular trend since the pandemic, more and more companies from diverse fields are getting acquainted with VR solutions. Let’s look at a few.
- Easing Pressure on the high-risk Job Training
Using VR for training and safety makes it possible to walk around and understand the machinery and hazardous environment at high-risk industrial plants without risking one’s life.
This BioGas Plant walkthrough below is a VR training solution developed by Queppelin through which the trainees can walk around the whole plant and understand each piece of machinery which helps in better industrial training.
- Elevating eCommerce & Customer Experience
VR has the ability to drastically change eCommerce. Offering customers a sense and feel of a store from their couches, ups the curiosity factor of online buying. Beyond this, eCommerce businesses can also explore newer techniques to boost customer engagement, experiment with store layouts, and do a lot more that would not be practical or even feasible in real life.
The VR Retail Store for British Telecom by Queppelin linked below, is built to help plan, design, research, and even enhance the company’s customer experience.
- Taking Events to a new level
With VR, large-scale immersive events can be held by businesses more effectively and with only half as much labor as traditional events. This innovative solution also helps you stand out from the competitors and impress the customers.
Below linked video is a glimpse of the first-ever Metaverse Jewelry Exhibition held by Tanishq on Queppelin’s Metaverse Platform. They chose metaverse as the next-gen launchpad for their latest jewelry collection – Rivaah. The event garnered tons of praise and set a benchmark in the business world.
Who uses VR?
With its growing popularity, VR has taken off among consumers as well as a wide variety of industries. From healthcare to content creation to education and beyond. Here’s a quick glimpse of a few such industries using VR.
- Education:
According to a 2019 study, medical students who received VR training were able to perform several procedures faster and more precisely than their classmates who received traditional training. With Queppelin, you can get any course customized into an immersive VR experience. For instance, learning languages is a tedious task. With the inclusion of VR, students are provided with an immersive language learning experience where they can converse with real people from all over the world. - Healthcare
Medical errors are ranked third in terms of leading causes of death. Some of its reasons are challenging processes, especially during surgeries and treating patients with perfect precision. Healthcare industries are now using VR to reconstruct a 3D model of patients to help better understand a malady, plan and practice surgery, and so on. - Gaming
When you think of VR, gaming instantly comes to mind and has also become a major factor behind the popularity of VR. Countless people are willing to spend their time and resources to become a part of this impressive and immersive gaming experience. You can either participate in a variety of existing VR games online or create your own bespoke gaming experience using Queppelin services. - Recreation
Numerous VR-based companies have paved the way for friends or strangers to get together and chat or play in virtual worlds. This incorporation of VR also allows people to build online worlds where they can lounge, play games, or work together on collaborative projects.
Is VR Expensive?
Virtual Reality was once regarded as an expensive luxury that few could afford. One of the key factors was that it was primarily utilized for gaming, and also the lack of available technology and understanding around it.
The availability and affordability of VR headsets are growing along with the popularity of VR and VR services. Currently, purchasing a VR headset is less expensive than purchasing an Xbox or Playstation 5 and costs only 25% of the price of a high end smartphone.
This simply implies that a VR headset is a cost-effective investment and with Queppelin, businesses can get the best VR services at the best cost and consultation.
Conclusion
According to the latest research on virtual reality market, AR/VR technology is forecasted to deliver a $1.5 Trillion boost to global GDP by 2030.
Businesses are eagerly seizing the chances with VR as it has enabled enterprise leaders to blend in the best of both physical and digital worlds. This has benefitted not just their company, but their consumers and workforce as well.
It is worth noting that in less than a year, the number of VR startups has surged by 14%. Such companies have started with the aim to change the way we shop, entertain ourselves, and conduct business.
Clearly, this long-awaited tech boom has finally begun and holds endless opportunities in store for us!
If you have a VR project in mind and would like to get consultation on it drop us an email at enquiry@queppelintech.com.