Modern VR simulation programs offer a comprehensive user experience without requiring bulky, high-priced hardware.
August after keeping a steady eye on VR’s progression over the last few years. ITI President Zack Parnell was looking to evolve the modern simulator experience within the industry, and saw VR as the next great opportunity. “Te major obstacles were a huge server and a bunch of TV screens— and the cost,” he said. “We never bought them for our training centers; there was no way to prove that it made sense financially.”
A typical crane simulator can cost well over $100,000.
Critics often describe the technology as overpriced and underused. “We learned through research and surveys that it was a very unhappy market,” Parnell explained. “Costs and utilization are the two main drawbacks. So we’re flipping our business model. We’re selling the VR hardware to companies for a small profit that basically covers our overhead. Now they’ll have multiple channels for their people to get into simulations as opposed to spending a similar amount on a large, stationary simulator.”
“WE FEEL LIKE THERE’S A CERTAIN ONUS ON COMPANIES LIKE MAMMOET AND ITI … TO CREATE SOLUTIONS FOR THE INDUSTRY.”
ITI then offers companies a subscription service that delivers simulation software courses—which start at
24 NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2016 WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
around $300 per person for the year. “Companies aren’t paying for equipment—they’re paying for utilization of the ‘sim,’ so it’s a much better business model,” he noted. “Tey invest in the course launches, so there isn’t this great investment in equipment. And unlike the large simulators, the investment is mobile.” ITI wants to deliver VR by itself that provides a substantially better experience than having “… a bunch of flat-screens in front of you,” said Parnell. “With VR, as your eyes move, your head moves. In existing simulators, the experience is just on the screens. In VR, the experience and cost structure is so much better. Folks can buy ten units, and utilize them throughout the company—or buy a few motion-based units (a bit more expensive because of the full chair), and even buy a lifetime subscription of software.” Essentially, VR comprises a sophisticated, yet very user-friendly, wrap-around headset (you may have seen one in use on an exhibition floor recently) that is fed software comprising a range of subjects, industries, and experiences. Te “experience” is pretty exclusive, allowing the user to feel as if they’re inside a personalized environment. Gaming was the first frontier, but VR has rapidly spread to areas like consumer shopping, real estate, interior design, film, healthcare, medicine, sports, and much more. Indeed, the NBA will be the first major sports league
to offer a VR experience to fans when it provides one game a week this season in virtual reality—through a deal with NBA Digital and NextVR.
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