Virtual Reality in Business

𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝗩𝗥) 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 🎓 Feeling like your traditional e-learning modules are falling flat? We’ve all been there—staring at static slides or reading endless text that fails to capture our attention. This lack of engagement can seriously undermine the effectiveness of your training programs, leaving employees underprepared and your organization lagging behind. Here’s a game-changing solution: Integrate Virtual Reality (VR) into your Learning and Development (L&D) programs. Trust me, it’s not just about high-tech gimmicks—it’s about creating immersive, hands-on learning environments that make skills and knowledge stick. Here’s how you can transform your training with VR: 🎓 Create Realistic Scenarios: Use VR to simulate real-world situations that employees may face in their roles. This hands-on practice is invaluable for deep learning and skill retention. Imagine training a pilot or a surgeon—VR provides a risk-free environment to hone critical skills. 🎓 Boost Engagement and Retention: VR’s immersive nature captures learners’ attention like nothing else. Studies show that immersive learning significantly enhances information retention, ensuring that employees are not just learning but mastering the content. 🎓 Personalized Learning Paths: VR can adapt to individual learning styles and paces, offering a customized experience for each employee. This tailored approach helps address specific weaknesses and reinforces strengths, maximizing the impact of your training programs. 🎓 Safe and Controlled Environment: VR offers a safe space for employees to make mistakes and learn from them without real-world consequences. This is particularly beneficial for high-stakes industries like healthcare, aviation, and manufacturing. 🎓 Cost-Effective in the Long Run: While initial setup costs for VR may be high, the long-term benefits far outweigh the investment. With VR, you can provide consistent training experiences across different locations, reducing travel and operational costs. 🎓 Gamification Elements: Integrate gamified elements like points, badges, and leaderboards to make learning fun and competitive. This not only boosts engagement but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement. By leveraging VR in your L&D programs, you can ensure that your employees are not only engaged but truly absorbing and retaining critical skills and knowledge. This investment in immersive learning will pay off in a more competent, confident, and competitive workforce. Got any innovative ideas for integrating VR into training? Share your thoughts below! ⬇️ #VirtualReality #ImmersiveLearning #TrainingInnovation #L&D #EdTech #FutureOfWork #SkillDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement

#Virtualreality isn’t just for gamers. It’s changing the way we train, protect, and prepare people on the shop floor. I had the chance to sit down with Revathi Pushpam Balachandran from Aatral, and our conversation left me fired up about what #immersivetraining can really do for manufacturing. Here are a few things that stood out to me: • Traditional binders and e-learning modules can’t prepare workers for real-world chaos. VR can. • Confidence grows when people can make mistakes in a safe, risk-free environment. • Engagement skyrockets when training looks and feels like the digital tools Gen Z already uses. • ROI isn’t just about dollars saved. It’s about fewer accidents, better retention, and employees who actually remember what they learned months later. What excites me the most is how universal this is. From school dropouts to seasoned boomers, anyone can step into a VR headset and practice real scenarios before touching a single machine. I pulled together a full recap of our conversation on Mavens of Manufacturing, and it’s worth the read if you care about #workforcedevelopment, safety, or just keeping your people confident and engaged. 👉 Read the article 👇 Curious—would you feel safer walking into a plant if you had already “lived” it in VR? Z-Ink Solutions

Are you ready to revolutionize the way you connect with customers? 70% of customers recall sensory experiences better. Multisensory ads increase engagement by 40%. Traditional advertising is fading into the background, but sensory advertising in Virtual Reality (VR) is about to change the game. By engaging all five senses – sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell – you can transport customers into an immersive experience that simulates real-life interactions with your product. 💸 The Opportunity: 🥣Food: Savor the aroma of freshly baked bread or taste the sweetness of ripe fruit 👗Fashion: Feel the texture of luxurious fabrics or hear the sound of velvet softness ✈️Travel: Smell the salty ocean air or touch the roughness of ancient stone 🤔 Reflect on this: 1️⃣ What senses do your current ads neglect? 2️⃣ How can you craft experiences that evoke emotions and memories? 3️⃣ What stories can you tell through sensory details? 💡 Tips for marketers: 👉 Collaborate with sensory experts to design multisensory experiences: Partner with neuroscientists, perfumers, sound designers, and texture specialists to craft immersive experiences that harmonize sight, sound, scent, touch, and taste, engaging customers on a deeper level. 👉 Invest in VR technology that simulates real-world sensations: Utilize advanced VR tools like haptic feedback, spatial audio, and scent-emitting devices to recreate authentic sensory experiences, blurring the line between virtual and reality. 👉 Focus on evoking emotions, not just conveying information: Shift from facts-and-figures advertising to experiential storytelling that taps into emotions, memories, and desires, creating lasting connections and brand loyalty through sensory resonance. 🔮The Future of Advertising: Sensory advertising in VR isn't just a novelty – it's a chance to rebuild trust and create lasting connections. By tapping into our primal senses, you'll: ✅ Increase brand recall and loyalty ✅ Drive sales through experiential marketing ✅ Differentiate yourself in a crowded marketplace The Question is: Will you lead the sensory revolution or follow the crowd? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments. #futureofmarketing #immersiveexperiences #thoughtleadership #thethoughtleaderway

Virtual reality is not just a tool for entertainment but a game-changer in product design, allowing teams to experiment, refine, and collaborate remotely in ways that were once impossible, leading to faster innovation, cost reductions, and more precise manufacturing outcomes. Immersive 3D environments are transforming product design by eliminating physical constraints and allowing real-time iteration. Virtual prototyping enables companies to test designs without manufacturing costly models, reducing waste and accelerating development. Interactive visualization helps engineers refine products before production, leading to better ergonomics and functionality. Remote collaboration means teams across continents can work seamlessly, breaking traditional logistical barriers. Realistic product previews enhance customer trust and decision-making, particularly in industries like architecture, automotive, and consumer electronics, where accurate representations are crucial for investments and sales. #VirtualReality #3DDesign #ProductDevelopment #RemoteCollaboration #DigitalTransformation

My latest in today's print edition of The Wall Street Journal: Companies Finally Find a Use for Virtual Reality at Work. More employees are strapping on virtual reality headsets as the immersive technology becomes an increasingly common method for workforce training on a range of topics, from hardware maintenance to leadership and empathy. Companies such as UPS and Walmart have taken a slow but measured approach to adopting a technology that has drawn extreme hype and extreme skepticism over the years as businesses have tested, piloted and pulled back on various uses. “It’s an interesting, but slower than expected journey. But for training—I think VR will always be a good way to use it,” said Johan Hellqvist, head of mobile and XR/3D at Volvo Group, about the process. The company today uses VR to train employees on actions like replacing the battery on an electric truck. What are your thoughts on getting trained in virtual reality? Read the full story here for more from Mark Gröb, Head of Immersive Technology at UPS, Christopher Botzum, Deputy Police Chief, Joliet Illinois Police Department, Nicki Finnigan, director of learning and development at St James's Place, Jennifer Buchanan vice president of the Walmart Academy training program, and Brad Scoggin, co-founder and chief executive of ArborXR: https://lnkd.in/ewYyumhn

A16Z GAMES SPEEDRUN supports founders using interactive 3D (i.e. game tech) in the real-world, for the enterprise & beyond The next decade will see companies tapping 3D to drive business outcomes from: - Real Estate - Ecommerce - Fashion - Robotics - Defense ... Why we're investing👇 We live in an increasingly digital age. The web has evolved from text ('90s) to images ('00s) to video ('10s) & now 3D Gaming's always at the bleeding edge: NVIDIA - graphics cards Unreal Engine / Unity - real-time graphics Discord (& even Slack) - real-time comms I bet you didn't know though that the highest valued company built on top of Unreal Engine isn't a game... ...It's Applied Intuition which uses game engines to create simulations where autonomous vehicle companies train and test their models Interactive 3D is predominantly helpful across the following domains: - DESIGN - 3D things in a 3D world should be concepted in 3D. We prototype physical goods or spaces using 3D tools vs hand sketches - VISUALIZE - seeing is believing. Graphics for games have reached photorealistic quality in recent years. 3D visualizations can be used for marketing, immersive training, digital twins, etc - SIMULATE - We train AI agents, robotics, autonomous vehicles, etc in virtual worlds or run scenario generators Why now? Licensable game engines have been around for 15 years. So what? GenAI - will bring down the cost of creating virtual content from scratch (i.e. 3D assets) 3D Capture - tech like gaussian splatting allows for efficient capture & rendering of real world scenes in the virtual world XR - new, higher powered devices with pass through capabilities allow workers to use these devices on the job (e.g. think on-site construction workers using AR to overlay a BIM model) A few instructive examples of established companies using interactive 3D across industries. This is only the beginning... 1. Defense: Anduril Industries - uses an in house game engine for a mission simulation product [Also Exia Labs in our current SR003 batch is using game tech for military planning and training] 2. Automotive: Tesla uses 3D/XR for virtual test drive and creates virtual worlds for training their autonomy systems Car manufacturers like Rivian and General Motors use 3D engines to power their heads-up display 3. Real Estate: Matterport - uses 3D captures for real estate virtual walkthroughs 4. Ecommerce: Threekit Visual Commerce - 3D product configurators to make consumer shopping feel like playing The Sims 5. Fashion: Clo3D - leading software for apparel design and visualization/virtual try-on. (The company also offers Marvelous Designer which is the leading garment design tool for game characters) tl;dr At A16Z GAMES SPEEDRUN we're excited to back amazing founders leveraging gaming technology / 3D to drive real-world business outcomes 🔗 Link to apply 👇

𝗩𝗥 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲? From training surgeons to digital patient twins - #virtualreality is making real-world impact across the healthcare industry. According to GlobalData Healthcare, immersive VR environments are becoming an increasingly valuable tool across three key areas: 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, and 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. 🥼 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Medical students and professionals can now practice complex procedures without the risks of real-life settings. With realistic #3D simulations and haptic feedback, #VR enables repeated practice of high-stakes, delicate procedures, boosting skill, accuracy, and confidence. ⚙️ 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 For #medtech manufacturers, virtual modeling allows for quick adjustments in real-time, helping teams spot design issues early. It enhances collaboration between engineers, clinicians, and regulatory teams, regardless of location. 🩻 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 & 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 VR has broad usages across patient care, from managing mental health conditions, to the interpretation of diagnostic images (#MRI/ #CT) to create 3D environments they can explore and inform treatment planning, and even guide surgical procedures. 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙑𝙍𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙧... ▪️ Virti - Interactive #VR training simulations for HCPs to enhance skill development and improve learning outcomes. ▪️ ImmersiveTouch - #VR solutions for surgical planning and education, generating #3D replicas from patient scans for preoperative strategy. ▪️ Proprio - Combines #AI, computer vision, #AR / #VR and #robotics to enhance surgical visualization and improve patient outcomes. ▪️ MediView XR, Inc. - #AR solutions for surgical #navigation, providing 3D "X Ray Vision" to surgeons during minimally invasive procedures. ▪️ Vicarious Surgical Inc. - Combines VR with #AI-enabled robotics to perform minimally invasive operations. ▪️ Proximie - Application enabling remote #surgical collaboration via video and AR, allowing surgeons to assist colleagues globally. ▪️ Augmedics - #Xvision AR spine surgical guidance system integrating intraoperative data with #3D skeletal models. ▪️ FundamentalVR - Haptic-enabled VR #surgicalsimulations that allow trainees to practice procedures in a highly realistic virtual environment. ▪️ Inovus Medical - AR surgical training and surgical simulators to improve care, offering platforms for both basic skills and full procedure simulation. ▪️ Medivis - #AR and #AI platform to enhance surgical procedures through real-time, 3D visualizations of patient anatomy. There are so many great companies and such a broad range of uses - that I apologize in advance if I have missed some from the list. Please shout yourselves out in the comments below!

Leadership hasn't fundamentally changed since Alexander the Great led armies across continents. What's changed is HOW we learn it. Here's why EXPERIENTIAL learning through VR is transforming leadership development: IMMERSION → When you're virtually standing where historical leaders stood, theory transforms into reality. You're not just hearing about leadership principles, you're LIVING them. RETENTION → Our data shows significantly higher retention rates when participants engage with historical scenarios through VR versus traditional classroom settings. PRACTICAL APPLICATION → Middle managers face the same core challenges their historical counterparts faced: • Supply chain vs troop movements • Market share vs territorial gains • Strategy execution vs battlefield tactics RESULTS → Post-engagement surveys consistently show: • Higher retention rates • Better practical application • Deeper understanding of leadership principles • More lasting impact than conventional methods The reality? Leadership isn't about knowing - it's about DOING. And there's no better way to learn than by stepping into the shoes of history's greatest leaders. What leadership lessons would you want to learn through VR? #LeadershipDevelopment #VirtualReality #ExperientialLearning

Innovative tools like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are becoming essential in fields like engineering and design. These immersive technologies are not just enhancing the way we interact with digital environments; they're a step in the right direction to uplift traditional processes from simulation to prototyping. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐕𝐑 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐑 - Mechanical Engineering: VR allows engineers to virtually assemble parts, identify potential issues, and test functionalities before physical models are built. This capability to 'walk through' and interact with 3D designs is drastically reducing time and costs associated with prototyping. - Civil Engineering: With AR, civil engineers can visualize projects in their actual environments, plan logistics, and enhance accuracy in safety protocols before construction begins. This virtual foresight can prevent costly errors and streamline project timelines. - Automotive Engineering: Automotive professionals use immersive tech to simulate real-world driving experiences, test vehicle dynamics, and iterate design elements efficiently. This not only speeds up the development process but also significantly cuts down on manufacturing costs. - Electrical and Software Engineering: Immersive tech provides electrical and software engineers with tools to debug circuits in a virtual space, simulate software interactions, and facilitate remote collaboration, enhancing productivity across global teams. Tech use cases aside, VR and AR are bridging communication gaps within and across teams. These tools enable a shared visual context, making it easier for multidisciplinary teams to collaborate, align on project goals, and accelerate decision-making processes. 🤔 How do you see VR and AR continuing to influence your industry? Could immersive tech be the key to the next big leap in engineering and design? #innovation #technology #future #management #startups Video by MACE Virtual Labs

What is the Future of Customer Digital Experience? The buzz around AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) is growing louder, and for good reason. These technologies are reshaping how brands engage with customers across industries like retail, healthcare, and entertainment. But what exactly sets AR and VR apart, and how are companies already using them to deliver extraordinary experiences? 🔍 Key Differences: AR: Enhances the real world by overlaying digital elements, accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Ideal for practical, everyday applications. VR: Creates fully immersive, computer-generated simulations, requiring specialized equipment for a deeper, transportive experience. 💡 Real-World Applications of AR/VR: Businesses are already harnessing AR/VR to transform the customer journey: IKEA: The IKEA Place app uses AR to let customers visualize furniture in their homes before purchasing. Sephora: AR-powered Virtual Artist helps users test makeup looks on their faces through their smartphones. Walmart: Uses VR for employee training, simulating real-life scenarios to prepare associates for challenges like Black Friday crowds. Adidas: Integrated VR in their flagship stores to allow customers to experience running shoes in virtual environments. UnitedHealth Group: Leverages VR to train surgeons in a risk-free, highly detailed virtual setting. 🛠 Notable Innovations in AR/VR Hardware: Apple Vision Pro: Captures 3D spatial photos and videos for a breathtakingly immersive experience. Meta Quest 3: Delivers robust VR capabilities at a more affordable price point. Microsoft HoloLens 2: A leader in mixed reality with applications spanning healthcare and manufacturing. 🌟 Why It Matters for Marketing Managers: As AR/VR evolves, Marketing Managers have an unprecedented opportunity to: 1. Elevate Customer Engagement: Create personalized, interactive experiences that captivate audiences. 2. Revolutionize Product Demonstrations: Show products in action, virtually or in real-time environments. 3. Enhance Brand Storytelling: Use immersive tools to bring your brand’s narrative to life. #DigitalStrategyCo #DigitalStraegy #Digital #DigitalMarketing #Marketing #CustomerExperience #ARVR #DigitalTransformation #AugmentedReality #VirtualReality #MarketingInnovation #FutureOfMarketing #ImmersiveTechnology #CustomerEngagement #TechTrends #AppleVision #AppleVisionPro #MetaQuest #MicrosoftHoloLens