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XR: AUGMENTED, MIXED AND VIRTUAL REALITY FEATURE


where they can run it on many different devices, and they need to be device and data neutral – for example, whatever data they create, they need to create it so that they can use it on the next generation of devices. Obviously you’ve got to select a


technology and an approach to it, but don’t get concerned that because you’ve gone for a particular device type, it will cause problems later. Yes, there will be a level of upheaval if you choose a particular technology and device, but it shouldn’t stop you moving forward. Once you’ve got that knowledge


and an appreciation of the technologies and how they might address certain things, you need to stand back and choose your use case. Having a good use case will create a good business case, and


xr: How to get started


Despite still being in its infancy, the use of


Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR) or Virtual Reality (VR) (collectively known as Extended Reality – XR) has been growing rapidly, especially in the manufacturing and


engineering industries, for the past few years. But how do you get started in XR?


O


ver the last five years, the AR/VR market has been driven by a raft of new headsets and mobile devices, both from familiar


names like Facebook, HTC, Google, Microsoft and Samsung, but also by dozens of start-ups. Headset devices can cost from as little as £250 to £3,500. But, other than an expectation that Apple will release an MR headset sometime in the next 6-12 months, there is no expected ‘breakthrough’, or major change to the technologies, just a lot of incremental improvement to what already exists. The result of this is that, rather than focusing


on the technology and devices, businesses are looking at how best to deploy – and achieve a financial return from – investments in XR. In fact companies have started assembling teams to study how XR technologies can be applied to the process of designing and manufacturing products. Leading companies recognise that their customers expect them to be leaders in this area; and many of these early adopters are now beginning to deploy XR solutions. To make XR meaningful for a business, you have to understand that there’s got to be a


relevant use case. But, is XR ready for industrial use and how do companies deploy it?


focus on tHe use case


You can’t really have a strategy on XR unless you understand something about the technology and how it will benefit your business. One of the key factors is to accept that it has


to be use case driven, which really means it has to be led by end user departments. That said, those departments may need help and support, and so IT or innovation groups who are often looking at XR as a technology may also need to be involved. The first thing companies should therefore


focus on is what area of their business do they think XR might help them in – whether it’s design, manufacturing, inspection, training or remote assistance. When researching XR, don’t fall into the


trap of believing everything you see on YouTube, and don’t get hung up on devices as the pace of change around both hardware and software is very rapid. Companies need to implement a use case


without a good business case, you’re not going to get budget for the investment that you’re going to need to make.


off-tHe-sHelf or do it yourself?


The next consideration is ‘what type of solution do we go for?’, because there are different approaches. You can go to solution providers and buy ‘out the box’ technologies, you can develop it yourself, or you can potentially contract somebody to develop it for you. This is another key decision that needs to be made fairly early on. If you’re going for an ‘out the box’ solution, do


some research on who are solution providers in relation to your use case. Speak with them, try out their technology. You’ve got to make some early investment in hardware to do that, but that’s relatively low cost. Off-the-shelf or own developed solutions will guide how much effort, time and support you need from IT and/or internal development groups to do that. It’s important to choose a use case, break that


down into small elements which will improve your business, and then go out and solve that to prove that it does benefit your business. If you choose a practical use case, choose elements of that which can be delivered today.


don’t get left beHind!


With more people working from home, and teams being geographically spread out, the remote collaboration capabilities of XR are more relevant than ever. Some organisations have adopted this


technology and use it every day, relying on it to perform at a higher level. In fact what started as an idea is now being used by teams globally, with growth and adoption accelerating as more people are exposed to the benefits it brings. The XR industry is still a relatively new one,


so software and hardware will continually be evolving. There will always be bigger, better apps and devices – that’s the nature of technology. But if there is no real world use for any of it, then what’s the point?


Theorem Solutions T: 01827 305350 www.theorem.com


JULY/AUGUST 2022 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 21


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