Virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality… the terms and technologies are multiple.
Their appearance is not new, even if the uses have been slow to take hold in companies, for cost reasons in particular.
The emergence (or rebirth) of the metaverse concept has, however, helped to revive these technologies. Sometimes renamed metaverse, virtual reality has therefore seen renewed interest over the past two years, particularly in the industrial world.
Immersion to attract and train in logistics
Its uses, as for training, are certainly not completely new. They are of interest despite everything, as evidenced by Daher, an equipment manufacturer in the aeronautics sector.
In the aeronautical basin of Occitania, the Toulouse publisher Mimbus, specializing in VR for training, is therefore approaching the industrialist. As part of an R&D program supported by the region, the two partners aim to develop the logistician’s metaverse.
This is explained by Laurent Da Dalto, president and founder of Mimbus, to our colleagues from L’Usine Digitale. With Daher, the publisher plans to design immersive training for new employees.
The project does not aim to meet the needs of the industrialist alone. Other players in the region need to attract collaborators. It is therefore a question of developing a “metaverse” or virtual environment on the logistics professions.
From VR/AR to the industrial metaverse
Intended to train and raise awareness, the platform will, for example, make young people and job seekers aware of these professions. It must also train versatile logistics agents. A first promotion of 40 learners is expected from 2024.
In aeronautics, a giant like Airbus has been using virtual reality for many years now. However, these were initially technologies dedicated to industry and expensive.
The progress of manufacturers such as Microsoft, Oculus or HTC has favored the democratization of uses and large-scale deployments. Thanks to these terminals, Airbus intends to industrialize augmented reality.
Within SNCF Réseaux, uses are also developing, even if they are not limited to helmet wearers. To design its experiences, especially in training, the digital department has had the Immersive Studio since 2018.
At Alstom, immersion is also developing, in line with the digitization of internal employee training. The group has 80 VR training courses accessible from its LMS platform. For its director of training, immersion is a step towards the metaverse.