Virtual Worlds – The fourth dimension T
he term virtual reality (VR) might conjure up images of cheesy 80s sci-fi movies and chunky, clunky headsets, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Nathan Maclean, managing director at Virtual Worlds, which creates market-leading VR products for the KBB industry, talks through some of the latest developments, and the opportunity it holds for retailers.
They say that seeing is believing – and when it comes to a major purchase, whether that is a car or a new bathroom, there is certainly nothing more powerful than a customer being able to physically see the product in question and try it out for themselves.
The problem we have always had as an industry is that it is incredibly difficult to showcase a precise kitchen, bedroom or bathroom to a customer. Yes, we can prepare showrooms and lay out different products with an array of specifications, but getting an experience that replicates exactly what the customer can expect when they commit to the purchase has always been a little trickier. That’s where VR comes in – it allows you to build any space from scratch and develop it to meet a customer’s needs. They can jump in and out, with modifications made to the room layout and the products within depending on their feedback until they consider it to be perfect.
But as with any new technology, change and development is happening at a rapid pace, with new features emerging all of the time. Remember when smartphones exploded in popularity and new functions were being introduced with dizzying regularity? That’s the position we’re currently in with VR.
New technology now allows customers to experience a far more realistic representation of their bathroom than ever before, both in terms of the graphical representation of the room, and the functionality on offer when they put on the headset. Immersion is the key word now. VR software developers are aiming to create products which not only replicate the proposed room, but make you feel like you are actually there in person. When done well, it enables the customer to essentially take their concept room for a test drive before a single brick or tile has been laid.
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Our very own 4D Theatre, for example, has taken VR and added in some clever details to make it more immersive than ever before.
Perhaps most importantly, emerging technologies have allowed Virtual Worlds to ditch the controller once and for all, allowing customers to manoeuvre around the space simply by walking in real life – they can even reach out to activate objects using their hands, without the need for gloves, thanks to a sensor built into the top of the headset. All the objects within the room render instantly, which means that users do not have to wait for frames to load and gives the experience a new smoothness, heightening immersion and making it far more believable for the customer. At Virtual Worlds we place great pride in our extensive range of catalogues. After all, having the right products to incorporate within the space is a vital part of being able to showcase the room to your customer.
We currently have more than 100 manufacturers featured within the Virtual Worlds catalogue, including the likes of Ideal Standard and Laura Ashley, and even more are set to follow. All the updates are held on the cloud, so that retailers know they are always getting the very latest models when they’re designing a room.
One thing we are very keen on is quality, so we recently set up a dedicated quality control department to ensure that all digital models are of the highest possible standards and truly replicate the real item. After all, customers will notice even the slightest glitch in a digital model and that will detract from the level of immersion they feel while inside the space, and could even distract them enough to put them off making a purchase.
Now is a great time to get involved with VR and incorporate it into your retail space, particularly as bricks and mortar stores are increasingly looking for additional sales tools to encourage footfall and reassert their dominance over online retailers. VR can even help designers and retailers to upsell more expensive products, and boost profits in the process, as the system allows you to easily show the customer what a more luxe product could look like if placed in their room.
Virtual reality is engaging for customers and can help to make it easier for them to envisage exactly what their new room will look like, which in turn makes it easier for retailers to convert sales. For more information on Virtual Worlds, please visit our website.
+44 (0)1908 663848
www.virtualworlds.co.uk
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