Exploring Augmented and Virtual Reality - #SwissTechSeries
Fourth article in our Swiss Tech Series, dedicated to Augmented and Virtual Realities. While these two technologies can be traced back to the 1960’s have generated a lot of interest and innovation over the last few years and bring tremendous opportunities to brands across industries. Indeed, through both technologies, brands can create immersive experiences.
In this article we’ll start by defining each technology, as they are often confused. We will then go through examples of implementation of both technologies. Of course, we will conclude the article with examples of Swiss companies developing such experiences.
What is the difference between Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)?
Augmented Reality consists of adding a layer of digitalized and interactive experience (visual, auditive, or other sensory information) on top of the real-world environment. This enables experiences enriched with further information than what meets the eye: driving directions superimposed on the glasses, special offer at a shop you pass by, or preview of a makeup color on your own face.
Augmented Reality thus uses the existing real-world environment and puts virtual information on top of it to enhance the experience.
In contrast, Virtual Reality consists of immersing the user in a virtual world, generated through computers. Users may be immersed in an animated scene or reproduced location. Through lenses and captors, users can interact with that world, looking up and down, or grabbing objects virtually. Virtual Reality thus empowers companies to put employees and clients into different places, situations, or environments, for a range of possibilities from training to entertainment.
VR usually requires leveraging equipment such as lenses for which most of the global leaders are going through a fierce battle: Facebook with Oculus, HTC with Vive Cosmo, Sony with their VR for PlayStation, Lenovo, Hololens, and even Google with their cardboards turning your mobile device into VR lenses. That said, some virtual experiences are possible without devices, but are typically less immersive – the headsets allow for a multisensory experience mixing sight, smell, sound, and touch.
Combining both AR and VR, Mixed Reality (MR) is the logical next step in the evolution of these technologies, merging real and virtual worlds for new environments where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time. MR can for example show the correct position of a piece in a watch-mechanism, visualization of your future sofa in your living room, or even see your future car in your driveway allowing you to “move” the car.
Inspiring examples of Augmented Reality
Home Depot, one the largest US stores for home improvement, released a couple years ago their Project Color App which effectively allows users to preview what a paint color would look like in their home. They now also empower customers to place furniture pieces with real aspect ratio to see if it would fit or not – of course offering the opportunity to buy directly from the application. Ikea, as well as many other brands in that industry have jumped on the trend as it provides a clear value to the customer – which should always be the starting point of any innovation.
Timberland created an augmented fitting room, superimposing cloths on you, whether you are in the shop, in the street passing in front of the shop or at home. This activation not only created buzz about the brand, it also answered a need from customers: quickly and efficiently trying on cloth without the usual hassle to go into the fitting room. It also allowed customers to conveniently project themselves into these new clothes.
Sephora introduced the Visual Artist App to empower customers to preview a make-up on their skin, and completing the experience with personalised recommendations, live coaching, and online ordering from the app for the makeup of your choice.
A few years ago, Watchbox, the online marketplace for new and second-hand watches, innovated when they created an AR experience to “try-on” the watch on your wrist before you buy it.
Examples are infinite and showcase the appetite for the experiences both from a brand and customer standpoint. The most successful AR experiences are the ones bringing something that the traditional experience could not deliver, when developing AR, brands must think outside the box, not limiting themselves to digitalize something existing, but really creating additional value for their customers.
Immersive examples of Virtual Reality
From Health Care to education, shopping, or virtual escape games, virtual reality brings limitless opportunities to immerse users into a new world. During the pandemic in particular many retailers have turned to VR to welcome their customers in digitalized versions of their shops, such as Dior which re-created their Champs-Elysées shop, or Audemars Piguet providing a virtual tour of their museum (similar to what the Louvre Museum also offers).
All Nippon Airways allow you to tour their renewed business class on their 777-330ER cabins, Oreo immerses you into an interactive world to create your own version of their famous biscuit, and if you are more of a cheese lover, head out to Boursin’s VR experience taking you on a journey through a fridge full of delightful treats and recipes using their cheese.
As with AR, we could go on for a long time with exciting and immersive examples of VR… and similarly, the value of any VR experience will be the value it brings to the customer (be it internal or external). Even more so than AR, VR has to offer a radically new sensory experience, transporting its user to new places, virtually.
Swiss companies leading the way in AR and VR
Photo credit: Udimu SA
Providing complete customer experience, Udimu (link in French) is a Neuchatel-based company, exploring the human-machine interaction, crafting extraordinary multi-sensory experiences. From holograms to VR and AR, from watches to cars, from perfumes to machinery, Udimu provides a comprehensive approach to the discipline of creating new experiences.
VLabs on their end, provide Augmented Reality in particular in the construction industry, allowing for the very precise visualization of pipes and cables, blending digital objects in the real-world environment. Specialized in AR and VR mobile applications development, Argon (link in French) offers tailor-made solutions to companies needs for new and mobile experiences.
Providing impressive true depth in both Augmented and Virtual reality, CREAL is a trailblazer in the field of smart eyewear. Coming from the EPFL incubator, they have the support of many VC firms and even received a grant through the EU Horizon 2020 program.
Specialized in industrial and manufacturing use cases for AR and VR, Holo-one provide out-of-the-box mixed reality solutions for enterprises, compatible with most of the VR headsets available on the market. They have received countless awards, including the one for Swiss Industry 4.0 award.
If you are a pilot, or aspiring to be one, we recommend you look into VRM, the Swiss specialist for flight training solutions. VRM creates the entire experience from the simulator itself to the immersive VR experience. Geared towards beginners and established professionals alike, they provide a comprehensive suite of products, and partner for example with the EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency).
We hope you had an immersive experience through this article, and got inspired to keep exploring the wonderful world of AR, VR, and MR; in particular the creative and innovative solutions coming out of Switzerland.
Interested in developing an AR or VR experience for your customers or employees, but unsure where to start? Get in touch with us, we will guide you through the process and develop your next immersive experience.
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