Immersive technologies, including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR), are making a profound impact across diverse sectors such as healthcare, consumer, retail, automotive, travel & tourism, and gaming.
The surging demand for immersive experiences is propelling the advancement of sophisticated platforms and technologies. These groundbreaking innovations are poised to revolutionize how individuals interact with content and their surroundings, creating immersive virtual worlds that enhance education, training, and various industries, states GlobalData.
The escalating demand for platforms incorporating AR, VR, and mixed reality technologies is driven by their ability to elevate training programs, improve consumer experiences, and enhance operational efficiency across sectors.
In the healthcare sector, these technologies facilitate realistic medical simulations, enhancing skills development and safety protocols. E-commerce benefits from interactive product visualizations, facilitating informed decision-making.
The automotive industry leverages immersive technologies for design, manufacturing, and customer engagement, while the travel & tourism sector enriches tourist experiences through immersive content.
Saurabh Daga, Associate Project Manager of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData, remarked, “Moreover, immersive platforms are finding greater use in industrial sectors bridging the divide between physical and digital for enterprises.”
IDC report recently indicated that shipment of augmented reality and virtual reality (AR / VR) headsets is expected to decline 8.3 percent to 8.1 million units in 2023. In 2024, the AR / VR) headset market is expected to grow 46.4 percent.
“3D immersive and interactive augmented reality will still receive most of the attention and find their way to enterprise users. Assisted reality (AR headsets that simply show content within a user’s line of sight) will likewise have its own audience, and can branch out towards consumers with gaming and multimedia,” Ramon T. Llamas, research director with IDC’s Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality program, said.
GlobalData has revealed some of the notable examples of immersive technology integration among top enterprises.
GE Healthcare and MediView XR Collaboration: GE Healthcare has collaborated with medtech company MediView XR to develop the OmnifyXR Interventional Suite System. This platform integrates mixed reality solutions into medical imaging, combining augmented reality visualization, remote collaboration, and clinical insights. The aim is to advance the use of augmented reality in clinical settings for improved patient care and medical interventions.
Nestle’s VR in Product Development: Nestle employs VR for product development, utilizing virtual prototypes in the metaverse for creating and testing. This innovative approach streamlines the product development process, tracks key metrics, and gauges consumer reactions. VR has also been applied to optimize Purina’s pet food division’s shelving and merchandising.
Nestle is making investment in order to transforming its operations by further digitalizing its supply chains and manufacturing. The goal is to create a competitive edge through data, artificial intelligence, automation and predictive analytics.
Mercedes-Benz and AR Integration: Mercedes-Benz has integrated AR glasses into its Vision One-Eleven concept car. These AR glasses enhance the driving experience by overlaying real-time information, navigation, and contextual data onto the driver’s field of view, creating an immersive heads-up display. The technology aims to improve situational awareness, offer dynamic navigation guidance, and introduce greater interactivity in the vehicle.
Challenges and the Path Forward:
While advanced immersive platforms promise substantial benefits in training, consumer engagement, and operational efficiency, challenges such as high costs, hardware limitations, and data security need to be addressed. GlobalData’s report emphasizes that by combining immersive technologies with emerging ones like Artificial Intelligence (AI), enterprises can overcome these challenges, paving the way for a more engaging and efficient future.
Rajani Baburajan
