Virtual reality is introducing new ways to improve the customer experience. If you’re a startup owner who wants to upgrade your business processes then read on to learn more about this technology.
Virtual reality (VR) is crossing new thresholds of global demand. With the increasing need for digitization, businesses are turning to VR to boost their market growth. According to Fiormarkets, the VR market is forecasted to reach up to $56.25 billion by 2025.
Contrary to the hype that VR games bring about, the concept of virtual reality is used for more than just entertainment. In fact, large industries are leveraging it to scale their operations.
So, if you want to upgrade your business’ operational efficiency, you might want to look into what virtual reality offers.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s first define what is virtual reality.
What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation that allows users to interact with a three-dimensional environment using sensor devices. These devices are specifically designed to capture a series of sensory inputs to make the user feel as though the artificial environment is real.
Now, the first thing that usually comes into mind when someone says “virtual reality” is a picture of futuristic graphics. It’s commonly associated with video games because it offers a unique player experience.
Imagine someone who’s passionately immersed in a simulated VR game, interacting with lifelike elements behind a VR headset. It’s safe to say, video games have come a long way from basic consoles and plain pixels.
However, the whole video game concept doesn’t even begin to cover the entire capability of VR technology. In truth, businesses are using it as a tool for much more critical operations.
Take the healthcare industry for one. They’re using virtual reality to enhance surgical training and patient therapy. The field of architecture is also leveraging VR to present infrastructure projects in a much more interactive platform. These are just some of the cases wherein virtual reality is improving business processes.
How Virtual Reality Works
So, how does one make use of virtual reality in business?
To answer that question, we first need to learn how things work. How is virtual reality created? From there, we can better understand how to maximize its features.
To kick things off let’s first address the common misunderstanding of the term “virtual reality”.
One thing to note about virtual reality is it can be confused with another science called augmented reality (AR). Just to clarify, these two have a similar core but they are completely different types of immersion.
VR immerses the user into an artificial world while AR keeps the user in the real world just overlaying virtual elements. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s dive deeper into VR.
Virtual Reality Software
Virtual reality attempts to recreate an illusory environment by using artificial information. To simulate the visuals, it uses two autofocus lenses. These lenses are placed between the screen and the eyes will adjust based on the lens movement and positioning. However, this is not its entire functionality.
The technicalities of VR are complicated. To better understand how it works, here are some of the subcategories of VR:
- Visualization – VR can transform aggregated data into a virtual environment wherein users can get a clearer picture of analytics and interact with it.
- Content management – Startups can use VR tools to collect, store, and study content in one centralized location.
- Collaboration platform – Users can work in remote locations and communicate with their team using the VR social platforms.
- Training – Skill training can be conducted in a VR environment for a more immersive experience.
Top Virtual Reality Developer Tools
Now that we know the features of a VR software, it’s time to identify the tools to build it. Here are the most recommended virtual reality developer tools:
1. Unity
Although it’s more popular for gaming development, Unity is also a pioneer in creating VR solutions. This real-time development platform comes with high-fidelity graphics and a large collection of artist tools. It integrates with well-known VR platforms such as Oculus and Sony.
2. Amazon Sumerian
Amazon Sumerian is a pretty straightforward VR engine from AWS. It doesn’t require extensive know-how of 3D graphics or VR programming.
Sumerian makes it easy to engage in 3D front-end experiences and access machine learning, chatbots, code execution, and more. It can also integrate with platforms like Oculus Go, HTC Vive, Google Daydream, etc. It also runs on Android and iOS.
3. Google VR for everyone
Google offers high-performing VR platforms, Daydream, and Cardboard. Daydream features a mobile VR platform that offers high quality, affordable VR at an Android scale.
Cardboard SDK lets you build immersive cross-platform VR experiences for both Android and iOS. Both tools can be used to develop powerful VR applications for multiple platforms.
4. Unreal Engine 4 (UE4)
Similar to Unity, UE4 is an excellent tool for advanced real-time 3D creation. This platform can host the creation of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality.
Popularly used for creating AAA video games, UE is a close competitor of Unity in VR development. It works with other platforms like Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Google ARCore, and more.
5. Blender
Blender is a free software that offers a long list of 3D pipeline features. It is the preferred 3D software for VR because of its open-source nature. It’s described as a highly flexible tool for developers that allows scripting for custom tools and add-ons.
These tools are just some of the most popular VR developer tools.
Hiring a Virtual Reality Developer
Now, if virtual reality happens to be the technology you want to use your business, then it’s best to find the right people. You need to hire a developer who specializes in the field.
The development of VR requires the creative use of special thinking. On top of the foundational knowledge, your developer will also need a specific set of skills.
Here are the basic VR development skills:
1. Familiarity of 3D game engine such as Unity
2. Knowledge of 3D modeling tools like Maya or Blender.
3. Ability to program using C# language
Lastly, before hiring a VR developer, you’ll need to establish the kind of VR application you plan to build. You have to assess your market and find out what kind of VR solution they need.
Scale up with Full Scale
If you want to learn more about virtual reality, Full Scale can connect you to the experts.
Full Scale is an offshore software development company that offers a wide selection of software development services. Whether you’re building chatbots or creating the next big virtual reality engine, we can find you the right developers for your project.
We specialize in helping startups upgrade their business processes for maximum efficiency. We provide consultations, resources, and talent. Using our Guided Development Process, we can assist you at any stage of your project.
Want to scale your startup today? Talk to us!
