First came simple computers and word processors. Then, at the turn of the century came the internet and smartphones, bringing the world closer together. This era gave rise to add-ons like location-based services and GPS which were exceptional aids to the expansion processes of organisations.
We’re now entering a third broad wave of technology - one of mixed reality (MR) and artificial intelligence (AI) - that are changing the way we work, communicate, and learn.
The digital age is taking us further away from two-dimensional screens and towards immersive, interactive, and explorative three-dimensional worlds. Within these digital environments, people are empowered to achieve more with exceptional accuracy, convenience, and efficiency.
Every organisation, from startups to corporations, non-profits, governments, charities, and institutions should now consider their mixed reality strategies.
Whatever your goal, MR is a powerful tool that will provide you with data in context at your fingertips, where your team can be heads-up and hands-free - wherever they are.
Mixed Reality market size worldwide 2007 - 2025: (Statista)
It’s estimated that between 2018 - 2025, the mixed reality market size worldwide will increase from $47 million to $3.7 billion (Statista).
The scope for growth in this market suggests that as the technology rolls out, falls in price, and becomes more accessible; those who fail to adopt it will simply fall behind.
What is Mixed Reality?
Increasingly, most people will be familiar with augmented reality (AR) and even virtual reality (VR). The former, a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world through a 2D screen. And VR transports users to a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real way.
In a ‘hybrid’ environment, mixed reality enables interactive virtual objects to be mapped out onto the physical environment. Ultimately, blending together both the physical and digital worlds.
The premise behind AR and MR, whilst similar, differs in their underlying technology. Mixed reality is a headset-based technology - whereas AR is viewed through a 2D screen such as a smartphone or tablet. Mixed reality uses the environment around you as a canvas for you to create immersive experiences, defined by the space you’re in. This is unlike virtual reality - which has the capacity to transport users to a completely different environment.
Options for producing mixed reality experiences within organisations are on the rise. The release of Magic Leap (ML) in 2016 spurred on the production of innovative alternatives. Magic Leap has focused on entertainment and gaming, but over time, the choice of MR technology will become so abundant and within the realms of individual and startup budgets, that the actual content of MR will be highly competitive. With this in mind, right now is as good a time as any for organisations to strategize their mixed reality experiences.
Mixed Reality and Business
A 2018 Toshiba survey found that 82% of enterprises predict that mixed reality will be used by their business in the next three years. Here we are in 2021, and the buzz hasn’t hushed. MR's capacity to solve business problems can be compared to winding back the clock to the 1950s and giving every single employee a mobile phone that gives them instant access to communication and documents, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The applications of mixed reality are as diverse as the fields of businesses.
Businesses can bring data to life by generating a visual representation of abstract data that’s beyond the cognitive abilities and perception of most humans. As such, the value of mixed reality for businesses constitutes development, training and collaboration.
Product Development
I love Microsoft Office as much as the next computer user. But gone should be the days of presenting design proposals in PowerPoint presentations. Now, product designers and developers can meet in Virtual Reality rooms to showcase, discuss and iterate on the designs they create.
There are no bounds when it comes to MR. In fact, products can be collaborated on in real size and examined from all angles. If there are other stakeholders you wish to share your product design with, clients, investors and customers can join the virtual room via an integrated video call to be part of the discussion. It’s a great way to generate awareness of a new product and to get critical feedback from those who matter in the design process.
Wondering what your design might look like in the real world? That's where MR pushes all boundaries since it enables users to project their designs onto the real world.
Training
Experiential training sessions allow employees or members of an organisation to experience a real-life but computer-generated situation first-hand in a simulated environment. Mixed reality, therefore, makes complex learning a lot easier without risking any of the organization's assets and resources in the process.
There’s no doubt that corporate training using MR saves costs. One-on-one mentor sessions have been found to be the most effective training method. This however efficient is timely and costly. On the other hand, giving a manual, guide or other textbooks to an employee is more cost-friendly. It has, however, been found to be the least effective training method.
An MR training room or environment allows organisations to create interactive, engaging and effective training sessions for their employees, which can be modified and used again and again.
Remote Collaboration
We’ve already touched on the point of inviting stakeholders on the product development journey. But what about collaboration within an organisation? The importance of communication and collaboration can never be understated.