Virtual reality is taking the world by storm. No longer is this tech trend being used by gamers, as a range of industries are now utilising the power of VR to help grow their businesses and attract new customers. Here are five of the biggest industries that are making use of virtual reality.
Property
The property industry is one example of a sector that’s embracing virtual reality. Amongst other tech trends like computer-aided technology and laser imaging, property companies are using virtual reality as a way to showcase their properties to potential buyers. RW Invest, for instance, are a UK company that offers off-plan properties which haven’t yet been completed. In order to showcase off-plan properties to investors, this company uses VR with computer-generated imagery showcasing how the property will look upon completion and allowing the user to take a virtual tour. This not only helps those interested in a property visualise the finished project, but it also helps the company stand out amongst their competition.
Healthcare
The healthcare industry is making great strides with the help of virtual reality. Projects such as ‘We Are Alfred’ use VR technology to help young doctors or carers experience how it feels to be a 74-year-old, audio and visually impaired man, being able to see things from their patients perspective. Other ways that virtual reality is being used within the healthcare industry includes the treatment of those with post-traumatic stress disorder. ‘Bravemind’ is a computer system that uses virtual reality to re-create stressful events for ex U.S troops that have been mentally scarred by their time in Iraq or Afghanistan. This method, referred to as prolonged exposure therapy, is also used to treat a range of additional phobias and has been shown to be effective in treating the effects of these disorders.
Education
Virtual reality can be used as a tool to help enhance learning and engagement by allowing students to experience the things they’re learning about first-hand. VR can actually be a very immersive experience, making the body believe it’s in a new place which can impact the mind and help the user to learn. EON Reality is a company developing training experiences for workers in the petroleum and aerospace industries. This company works to create more effective learning environments for those in these industries, offering them the chance to experience equipment and situations for themselves rather than having to rely on the help of textbooks.
Finance
Workplace environments have been impacted by virtual reality trends. Trading companies have started experimenting with ‘virtual reality desktops’ which help them to visualise and manipulate mountains of data with just hand gestures. Other ways that the finance industry is utilising virtual reality is with VR interviewing. Leading investment banks have started using hi-tech VR in their interview processes as a way to assess how applicants perform certain tasks and deal with hypothetical challenges.
Marketing
Brands looking to attract customers with innovative promotional campaigns are beginning to utilise virtual reality. Adidas is a prime example of one of these brands, having partnered with a tech marketing agency in 2017 to create their ‘Delicatessen’ campaign. With this, audiences could experience the mountain-climbing journey of two athletes, being able to scale the mountains alongside them with the help of a virtual reality headset and two sensory remote controls. This campaign worked brilliantly to promote Adidas’s line of outdoor apparel by introducing customers to a new experience and pique their interest in both the clothing line and the activity.