Industry 4.0 is defined as the fourth industrial revolution, characterized by the change in business operations, which introduce the latest technologies to improve their production processes. This revolution not only involves changes in the operating model, but also in the company's assets and equipment.
AR (Augmented Reality) and Virtual Reality (VR) are part of this industrial revolution along with technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), robotics, nanotechnology, IOT (Internet of Things). Both technologies allow an improvement in the management and learning processes of the tasks of Industry 4.0 that we will explain below.
Augmented Reality is a technology of great help in the industry through the simplification of processes, the design and examination of machinery, training, and the remote support of workers.
Its use is also interesting to monitor the entire production process and its supervision; train through real environments adding extra information; and to simulate hard-to-reach environments. In addition, Augmented Reality is useful for detecting problems in the workplace, providing additional visual information.
The Virtual realityimplies a different level of immersion, which is why it is usually applied more in phases of project design, machinery review, and training in extreme or difficult cases, which can involve difficulty and high risk.
In practice it is applied to work accidents; in simulations of risky operating maneuvers; in virtual visits to facilities in the industries; in emergency performance rehearsals and escape routes.
The benefits of applying Virtual reality and Augmented Reality are multiple, and from REM Experience we can help and advise you according to the needs of your business.
The advantages provided by Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in industry 4.0 are:
- Training: a more visual training about the operations and mechanisms to be executed implies a deeper learning because the knowledge is practiced in real time. In addition, more risky or difficult-to-access practical concepts can be taught.
- Cost savings and better productivity: Simplifying operations and production time, costs and time are minimized. In addition, professionals are better prepared, facilitating savings.
- Better process control: there is greater control and monitoring of any process and any failure can be corrected with greater solvency.
- Occupational risk prevention: using such technologies to perform the most complicated tasks, occupational hazards and accidents are avoided.
Marketing, advertising and sales
Marketing and sales is a sector that is constantly evolving, closely linked with the technological revolution. Both feed off each other to supply the needs of a technological society.
The marketing and sales industry needs visual and sound input to attract the consumer. With Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, these sensory contributions increase, favoring the attention and retention of messages. And consequently, it improves the sales conversion rate.
Augmented Reality in the marketing and advertising sector provides an enrichment and a surprise factor in the existing environment, where our product or service is located.
It also provides advertisers with the ability to transform a static object, such as a print ad or flyer, into a 3D experience. The same can happen with the packaging of a product: inform about a product giving it a different and surprising effect.
The application of Virtual Reality in marketing and advertising is aimed at showing a product or service in an innovative and attractive way. From an artificial environment a product or service is created from scratch. Being a surprising way of selling, engagement with the consumer is enhanced. Attraction and interaction play a fundamental role in improving the conversion rate and increasing final sales.
- Customer engagement: attracting the attention of the consumer is difficult in an environment full of constant messages. By applying innovative technologies, a greater relationship with the client is achieved, as well as greater attention and dissemination than with traditional media.
- Brand prestige: the brand prestige grows thanks to the marketing actions that apply such technologies, since they create a wow or surprise effect. Not only towards the consumer, but new experiences are also published through traditional media.
- Improve customer experience: thanks to the application of these technologies, the customer obtains more information about the product and is more willing to carry out the transaction. The confidence generated by being able to be close to the product and try it, live it, is transferred in the engagement and in the sales conversion rate.
- Live the digital experience in reality: both technologies allow the campaign, whether digital or on paper, to be transferred to real life, to a physical experience for customers.
- Metrics: actions carried out with digital technologies allow marketing actions to be measured through different tools. Actions are monitored in real time, knowing the impact they generate on the consumer.
Education / Training
The use of these technologies in the classroom benefits student learning. The concept of gamification is used in this area: promoting learning while the student has fun. Scenes, objects or figures are recreated through games so that students understand the concepts better and assimilate them faster through fun and interaction.
With these technologies, interest is captured in a new way, promoting immersive learning. In this way, a greater educational impact is achieved and the participation and interaction of the students is improved.
Integrating these technologies in the classroom is simple thanks to the awareness and knowledge of the new reality.
A person's talent also improves by learning through video games.
The game-based learning or learning through videogames has numerous advantages for the student: on the one hand, it dynamizes that learning, turning it into a game. In this way the student is attentive and better assimilates the concepts. On the other hand, using prizes in the game, motivates students to continue with this recreation and capture their interest in continuing to learn. Finally, it facilitates practice without situations of risk or danger.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are also applied as methods for professional training. Especially in industry, but also in nautical, aviation, human resources and automotive, among others.
The same advantages that we have discussed above also apply in this area. They are tools available to all workers that allow them to better assimilate new processes and concepts, apply simulators in extreme situations without any danger, and improve business productivity and efficiency.
In addition, they make it possible to work without limit of repetitions or time, both in the professional field and in the educational field, since the practices do not imply any cost of material.
- Learn new concepts: introducing visual improvements, students can assimilate the concepts and put them into practice in an optimal way and without costs.
- Explain new concepts: through these two techniques, concepts that are difficult to capture on paper can be explained, such as through the recreation of prehistoric environments or the execution of a nuclear reactor.
- Easy concentration: turning learning into a game, the student is more interested in continuing to learn, and the concepts are assimilated more completely.
- Practice safely: students and workers can put their knowledge into practice in an unlimited way, without accessing difficult areas and without being present in risky situations.
- Metrics: everything that happens in a 3D environment in AR or VR can be measured. In this way you can monitor the understanding of the concepts and rectify them at all times, for better learning.
Tourism and culture
Virtual Reality allows us to discover cultural heritage in a different way than we are used to. And discover spaces that due to certain security or conservation regulations are impossible to visit: for example, the ruins of a city or protected spaces.
With Augmented Reality we can learn more about the cities we visit. For example, finding a restaurant, museum or church can be made easier by using the on-screen suggestions.
Digital guides or geolocation applied by Augmented Reality work very well for the tourism sector. Thanks to digital devices we access information that adds value to our trip.
Virtual tours also allow showing the information of that city with high quality images without having to go to the place.
- Cultural promotion: thanks to these new technologies, historical structures are recreated as they were in the past. These projects make cultural heritage known in an innovative way and attract a wider audience. The use of these technologies increases the impact and diffusion of each of the projects.
- Best travel experience: having up-to-date and complete information about the site to which we are going to travel will improve the experience. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, in combination with technologies such as geolocation or wearables, allow to improve knowledge of the environment in a simple and fun way.