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Virtual & Augmented Reality

Digital information brought to life

XR has the potential to change the way we work, learn and play by providing a more immersive and interactive experience. It is heading towards a future where it will be more integrated into our daily lives.  Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality are rapidly developing into an integrated standard as interactive technologies.

They are used in:

  • development processes (e.g. prototype optimisation or plant planning),
  • production processes (e.g. assembly optimisation and predictive maintenance)
  • operational processes (e.g. employee qualification, occupational safety, implementation of therapies or planning of operating theatres)

The advantages are obvious:

  • Efficient & sustainable process design
  • Realistic simulation
  • Immersive experience
  • Breaking down complexity through visualization

Short, interactive 3D visualisations or tangible applications make abstract expert knowledge accessible, support understanding and thus communication. With today's technology, it is possible to experience and interact with information and knowledge.

XR is currently experiencing a new dynamic through the integration or interaction with other technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things) or artificial intelligence

Definition

Due to the fast pace and rapid technological advancement of this field of innovation, XR (Extended or Cross Reality) serves as an umbrella term and refers to the technologies that allow us to experience digital content in a more immersive, interactive way rather than just looking at it on a screen.

It consists of three categories:

Virtual Reality (VR)
With VR applications, the user is immersed in a fully simulated environment via a headset or similar device. This immersion is particularly stimulated by visual and acoustic stimuli. However, haptic or olfactory feedback is increasingly enriching the experience.

Augmented Reality (AR)
AR applications overlay digital information into the real world, often by means of a smartphone camera or smart glasses. It is to be understood as an extension of physical reality. Unlike VR, in AR the user remains in physical reality.

Mixed Reality (MR)
MR applications merge the real and virtual worlds so that they can interact with each other in real time.

All three technologies are dependent on end devices - ranging from smartphones and tablets to special glasses and headsets.

VR & AR in Berlin

With Berlin as the leading media and creative location in Germany, especially due to its proximity to the Babelsberg film studios, the regional strength of narration and content production has evolved. The areas of games, entertainment, education - in the sense of vocational training and further education, as well as knowledge transfer in the cultural sphere - and tourism are the areas of application with the highest turnover in the region.

The XR scene in Berlin is made up of very diverse players from the cultural and creative scene as well as the digital economy.

However, as a cross-sectional technology, the application potential extends across a variety of industries. Medical technology in particular has integrated a variety of applications in Berlin, for example to simulate surgical procedures or to treat patients with specific phobic disorders. New, innovative and audiovisual XR applications are also constantly being developed in the fashion and music scene that is typical of Berlin - from virtual fittings and NFT Metaverse art exhibitions through to VR club nights and concerts.

The following areas of application for immersive and interactive XR experiences are available across all industries:

  • Product development & design
  • Service, maintenance, & repairs
  • Usability & ergonomics
  • Sales & distribution
  • Cooperation & remote collaboration

XR is expected to continue to grow in corporate applications, particularly in industries such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing. Within these industries, XR can be used for training, simulation and remote collaboration.
 

Progress with AI, IoT & 5G

In particular, the integration of AI (artificial intelligence)IoT (Internet of Things) and 5G technologies is bringing a new dynamic to development.
Smarter XR devices will use AI to respond to user needs. Thus, XR assistants can help navigate virtual environments and provide personalized experiences. There will also be exciting scenarios in the application field of IoT - XR will be integrated with IoT so that XR devices can interact with smart devices in the physical world and control them, for example.

Improved hardware
The rapid development of hardware is leading to more powerful VR headsets and AR glasses, making them more user-friendly and ultimately more affordable for users.
Industrial applications in particular will benefit from this and increase the added value of such applications even more.

Metaverse
There is a broad consensus that XR will play a very relevant role as an enabler alongside Blockchain. It is likely that the Metaverse and XR technologies can benefit from each other. The Web3 infrastructure of the Metaverse is intended to move the user away from a role as observer to an acting role and thus requires user immersion, which can be made possible by an XR interface. An exciting metaverse momentum to set an XR footprint.